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Human Consumption of Microplastics

Environmental Science & Technology 2019 2428 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Kieran Cox, Kieran Cox, Hailey L. Davies, Sarah E. Dudas, Sarah E. Dudas, Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Kieran Cox, Kieran Cox, Kieran Cox, Kieran Cox, Sarah E. Dudas, Sarah E. Dudas, Kieran Cox, Hailey L. Davies, Francis Juanes, Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Hailey L. Davies, Hailey L. Davies, Hailey L. Davies, Garth A. Covernton Francis Juanes, Kieran Cox, Sarah E. Dudas, Kieran Cox, Garth A. Covernton John F. Dower, John F. Dower, Garth A. Covernton John F. Dower, Garth A. Covernton Garth A. Covernton Francis Juanes, Hailey L. Davies, Hailey L. Davies, Francis Juanes, Francis Juanes, Sarah E. Dudas, Francis Juanes, John F. Dower, Garth A. Covernton Sarah E. Dudas, Sarah E. Dudas, Francis Juanes, Francis Juanes, John F. Dower, Sarah E. Dudas, Sarah E. Dudas, Sarah E. Dudas, John F. Dower, Francis Juanes, John F. Dower, John F. Dower, Garth A. Covernton

Summary

Researchers evaluated the American diet and estimated that the average person consumes between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year through food alone, with the number rising significantly when inhalation and bottled water consumption are included. The study analyzed data from 26 prior studies covering common food categories. The findings highlight that microplastic exposure through everyday eating and drinking is widespread and substantial.

Body Systems

Respiratory

Study Type Environmental

Microplastics are ubiquitous across ecosystems, yet the exposure risk to humans is unresolved. Focusing on the American diet, we evaluated the number of microplastic particles in commonly consumed foods in relation to their recommended daily intake. The potential for microplastic inhalation and how the source of drinking water may affect microplastic consumption were also explored. Our analysis used 402 data points from 26 studies, which represents over 3600 processed samples. Evaluating approximately 15% of Americans' caloric intake, we estimate that annual microplastics consumption ranges from 39000 to 52000 particles depending on age and sex. These estimates increase to 74000 and 121000 when inhalation is considered. Additionally, individuals who meet their recommended water intake through only bottled sources may be ingesting an additional 90000 microplastics annually, compared to 4000 microplastics for those who consume only tap water. These estimates are subject to large amounts of variation; however, given methodological and data limitations, these values are likely underestimates.

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