Here’s how much plastic YOU eat and breathe – as test reveals particles in shop-bought fish
Food sold on open counters in supermarkets are contaminated with potentially dangerous particles that float in the air, a study found
THE shocking amount of plastic we eat and breathe in has been revealed after tests were carried out on shop-bought fish.
An investigation found food exposed on open counters in supermarkets were contaminated with potentially dangerous particles that float in the air.
It was previously believed that polluted oceans were the main risk, but the scientist who carried out the study said microplastics - or tiny piece of plastic - had become ";part of the air we breathe".
The investigation into airborne plastic food contamination found particles on every sample of fish from the eight major supermarkets.
The newspaper reports that the results mean food from any open counter, including delis, bakeries and market stalls, is vulnerable to being tainted - something the shops have no control over.
On one sample, scientists found 139 pieces of plastic for every 240g of fillet, while the average for salmon was 75 pieces and 72 for cod.
The recovered particles were between 0.25mm and 1mm long and were mainly fibres from textiles used in clothing, carpets or furniture.
The research team says the particles were too large to have passed from the gut into the flesh of the fish, so they concluded that the plastics had to have come from airborne contamination.
Experts warn that ingesting the particles can damage lungs, poison kidneys, interfere with hormones and even travel across a mother's placenta.
A study in Belgium last year revealed that seafood lovers eat 11,000 pieces of toxic plastic every year due to microplastics - however the most recent investigation is the first in the UK.
Dr Natalie Welden, who led the study, said: "'Having food exposed to particles in the air for an extended period will result in a higher amount of plastic."
She said that washing the fillets prior to cooking might help, but added that they could still be exposed to microplastics in the home.
Dr Welden, who has studied microplastics for six years, added: "I wouldn't be surprised if they're not building up in the air in the same way as in the oceans. They will be fragmenting and still not going away."
Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, who is a member of the Commons environmental audit committee, described the findings as "shocking".
He told the Mail: "We have seen some initiative on plastic bags, microbeads and other single use plastics, but that is a start, not the end. We need to wage war against plastic pollution."
It comes as the World Health Organisation prepares to launch a review into the risks of plastic particles found in drinking water.
Analysis of some of the world’s most popular bottled water brands found more than 90 per cent contain microplastics.
Meanwhile, in his Spring Statement the Chancellor announced a consultation on what more we can do to try and slash Britain's use of wasteful single-use plastics.
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Extra taxes are likely to be slapped onto the plastics we use at the moment including chewing gum, crisp packets and takeaway containers.
The Chancellor said he will look into giving tax cuts to vans who have low emissions, too.
And he promised £20million to help universities develop solutions to our reliance on plastics.
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