We drink 5 grams of plastic every week. This may sound a bit strange but WWF International of Switzerland This is what was revealed in the report. 82.4% of the water being supplied to our homes contains microplastics. This means that we are not only using plastic in things, but are also drinking it. Not only this, along with fruits and vegetables, we are also absorbing plastic into our bodies through breathing.
Plastic particles everywhere
Microplastics are plastic particles ranging in size from 1 nanometer to 5 millimeters. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration According to him, large pieces of plastic turn into microplastics due to air and heat. Our life is dependent on plastic. Toothbrush, bucket, chair, pen, tiffin box, water bottle, everything is made of plastic and our house is filled with it. Every food item is also packed in plastic. Ultimately all this plastic waste goes to the dumping ground. Where plastic particles are found in the soil and go inside the ground and get mixed in the well, river, borewell and sea water. People who eat sea food have also found its quantity in their body.
Avoid synthetic clothing
If you are buying a dress, even if it is packed in plastic, microplastics dissolve in the body through the fabric of the clothes. Actually, most of the clothes being sold in the market these days are made of fabrics like nylon, rayon, polyester. All these synthetic clothes contain plastic particles. When they come in contact with our skin, they enter the body through the pores along with sweat.
94% of the water supply in America contains microplastics (Image-Canva)
Plastic particles enter the body even by breathing
Plastic particles reach our liver through food and drinks and get mixed in the blood through digestion. At the same time, many times its particles reach the lungs through air and get mixed in the blood. Statista According to this, most of the microplastics enter our body through plastic bottles. 94 microplastics are found in a 1-litre bottle. This bottle can be of water, cold drink or juice. 9 microplastics enter our body through air and 0.44 microplastics enter through sugar, salt and flour.
The alarm bell rang 2 years ago
Everyone has known for a long time that plastic is dangerous for the environment, but its particles are also found in human blood, the first case of this came to light in 2022. Scientists from the Netherlands did research by taking blood samples of some people in which plastic particles were found. university of hull According to research, microplastics can even kill a person. It can lead to cancer, thyroid, infertility and brain-related diseases.
Its presence in everything- salt, sugar, vegetables
in the last few days Toxics Link The organization’s study titled Microplastics in Salt and Sugar was published. It revealed that every brand of salt and sugar sold in India contains microplastics. The maximum number of 89.15 pieces were found in 1 kg of iodised salt. Whereas its quantity in 1 kg of sugar was 11 to 68. in 2020 Environmental Research According to the report published in 2015, every vegetable and fruit has microplastics in it. The highest number of plastic particles, 195,500, were found in broccoli. In carrots, the number was 100,000 particles per gram. This number was 195,500 particles per gram in apples and 189,500 particles per gram in pears. Actually, when vegetables and fruits are grown in the fields, microplastics enter them through soil and water. Some farmers release waste water into the crops.
Plastic bottles take 450 years to decompose while polythene takes 20 years (Image-Canva)
Eat a diet rich in antioxidants
Dietitian shipra sharma She says that microplastics getting mixed in the blood is an invitation to many diseases. Often people heat food in the microwave and only plastic or fiber utensils are used for this. In such a situation, plastic particles get mixed in the food. Only after a blood test can we know how much microplastic is in the body. Include antioxidants in the diet to purify the blood. Apart from this, neem, aloe vera and bitter gourd also purify the blood.
How to solve the problem
Plastic is related to lifestyle, so we will get rid of microplastics only when we stop using plastic. Use jute or paper bags instead of polythene, wear cotton clothes, store water in glass or steel bottles, use brush made of wood, avoid packed food, drink water by boiling it or by applying RO filter, use steel lunch boxes and eat vegetables and fruits after washing them with hot water and clean the house with vacuum cleaner.
Tags: health, Indian Ocean, Lifestyle, plastic waste, Single-use Plastic
FIRST PUBLISHED : September 8, 2024, 11:37 IST
