From the top of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans, we know that plastic trash is everywhere on earth. It might surprise you to know that it’s also in us. Yes, we’re eating, swallowing or breathing in about 2,000 tiny pieces of plastic each week — an amount equal to the weight of a credit card. Microplastics — particles smaller than five millimeters — are making their way into our food, drinking water, and even the air. According to a recent study, most of the pieces of plastic we ingest come from drinking water, but it’s also in other foods such as shellfish, salt, and even beer. The long-term effects of plastic ingestion on the human body aren’t yet well documented, but studies are underway to better understand the effects of plastics on our health. Regardless of the specific health risks, plastic pollution continues to be a growing problem worldwide, and it shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, half of all the plastic produced between 1950 and 2016 has occurred since 2000.
