Katharina Buczek
A new study has raised health concerns after finding that almost 90% of protein sources contain microplastics, including plant-based options.
This discovery was part of research published in Environmental Pollution, in which researchers examined 16 different protein varieties– such as beef, chicken, pork, seafood, tofu, and three vegan alternatives– for microplastic content.
The proteins tested were bought from two supermarkets and one grocer in Portland, Oregon, in April 2022. The items were all produced in the United States, as indicated on their packaging.
The research team was made up of scientists from the University of Toronto and Ocean Conservancy, and they discovered plastic particles in 88% of these samples. This suggests that regardless of dietary choices, people are still probably ingesting microplastics.
Dr. Britta Baechler, Ocean Conservancy’s associate director of plastics science, called this discovery a “startling reminder” of just how widespread plastic pollution is.
“Humans live on land, and yet seafood samples are just as likely to be contaminated with plastics as are terrestrial-derived proteins,” Dr. Baechler said.
“And there’s no escaping them, no matter what you eat, it seems. The plastic pollution crisis is impacting all of us, and we need to take action to address its many forms.”
Past studies have indicated that people, on average, ingest an amount of plastic equivalent to an entire credit card each week. These tiny particles measure less than five millimeters and have been detected in both our clouds and oceans.
So, the latest research from Ocean Conservancy contributes to the increasing body of research on microplastics in our diets.
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