People swallow two polythene bags a year through microplastics, reveals study

Plastic is being used in almost everything these days. But now we have reached the verge of dying with plastic. It is now putting a child at risk of becoming impotent at birth. Britain's Portsmouth University collected two types of food items to detect microplastics present in the food -- One wrapped in plastic packing and the other without plastic. 

Around 2.30 lakh microplastics were found in the plastic packing items, while the second packing had 50,000 microplastic particles. According to researchers, every person is swallowing 10 grams of microplastic every day.

According to research by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), pregnant women are at risk after consuming food stored in plastic containers. It is also being passed on to their male children as microplastic particles are considered responsible for impairing fertility.

What is microplastic?

Very fine particles of plastic are called microplastic. On average, 0.1 to 5 grams of microplastic can enter the human body in different ways, every week. The average person swallows 11,845 to 1,93,200 microplastic particles every year. This means from 7 grams to 287 grams. It depends on the presence of plastic in his/her life.

Why is microplastic making you sick?

Plastic containers for food storage or liquid storage are generally made from polycarbonate plastic. To make this plastic flexible, Bisphenol A (BPA) is added to it, which is an industrial chemical. Researchers from Delhi's ICMR and Hyderabad's National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) have found that BPA chemicals during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the fertility system of the male child.

This research has been done on rats. For this, pregnant rats were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to BPA chemicals for four to 21 days during pregnancy and the other group was kept away from it. Fatty acids started accumulating in rats living near BPA. This fatty acid was found to cause damage around the membrane necessary for sperm growth.

This research has been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. BPA chemical affects hormones and can cause cancer and infertility. But now the health risks of plastic affecting even before birth.

According to NIN's research, everyone, especially pregnant women, should avoid using plastic containers. Prolonged storage in such containers, especially in hot temperatures or during microwave, increases the risk of BPA chemicals leaching from the plastic into the food.

Dr. Sanjay Basak, lead researcher, National Institute of Nutrition, said, “There are two types of plastic present in a kitchen, one-time use like disposable water bottles or packaging plastic and the other is plastic containers on which food grade or BPA free is mentioned. Companies claim that BPA-free food-grade plastic does not cause harm. But experts do not agree with this."

Where are microplastics?

Microplastics in water

Microplastics are most commonly found in tap water and water stored in plastic. The plastic waste present in the environment has broken down and got mixed in the soil, under the ground and in the oceans and rivers.

In clothes and toys

According to a study by Britain's Portsmouth University, 7000 microplastic particles from toys and clothes are being inhaled into our bodies every day. 

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How to reduce microplastics in your everyday life

• Do not keep cooked food in plastic containers.
• Avoid microwaving plastic.
• Use glass, steel or copper for water bottles instead of plastic.
• Do not throw plastic in your household garbage and give it to recycling organizations or throw plastic waste separately.
• When plastic gets mixed with garbage, it becomes difficult to recycle.

According to government data, India produces 3.5 million tonnes of plastic every year, while our capacity to recycle plastic is only half of it.