As of: January 27, 2024, 6:43 a.m
By: Maximilian Hertel
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A study from the USA provides sobering findings.
So far, not all aspects have been taken into account when measuring plastic in food.
Frankfurt – Plastic has become an integral part of our world.
It's in our bottles and packaging.
Plastic bags and tiny particles float in rivers and oceans.
It's no wonder that plastic can also be found in us humans.
Nobody seems to know exactly how harmful the whole thing is.
Now a new study from the USA blows up the already sad results.
There is so much plastic in our drinking water – new study provides worrying estimates
The question of where plastic has already been discovered is difficult to answer.
It would probably be much easier to list the substances in which no plastic has yet been discovered.
This becomes particularly clear when you look at studies from the past: A study by the environmental protection organization WWF from 2019 is considered a benchmark for worrying statistics: According to this, people are estimated to ingest 1,769 plastic particles within a week through drinking water alone.
About 182 particles from shellfish from the sea and even from beer.
These are the results of the WWF study:
Average plastic consumption per week |
Recorded by |
|---|---|
1,769 particles |
Drinking water |
182 particles |
Shellfish |
11 particles |
Salt |
10 particles |
Beer |
Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are smaller than 5 millimeters.
To illustrate the amounts of plastic found: According to the environmental protection organization, people consume around five grams per week on average.
That corresponds to the weight of a credit card.
A newly published study from January 8, 2024 from the US University of Columbia revealed that an error had been made in the measurement.
The latest study shows how much plastic ends up in our drinking water.
The new values exceed previous estimates many times over.
© IMAGO / Markus van Offern
So far, only microplastics have been recorded, but not the much smaller nanoplastic particles in food.
The result: According to the latest estimates, researchers assume that there would be up to 240,000 plastic particles in one liter of water.
Not surprisingly, the material polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was found to be particularly common.
The same material that the plastic bottles are made of.
How harmful are plastic particles for humans?
Of course, there is also a suspicion as to how the micro- and nanoplastics end up in the drinking water bottle.
Both the researchers at the University of Columbia and the WWF see abrasion as the main cause.
For example, by turning the screw cap, the particles get into the water or even the beer.
But how harmful are plastic residues for humans?
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According to the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK), it is still unclear how harmful plastic actually is in the body.
However, if there is a danger, it is not from the material per se. The chemicals used in it are more of a cause for concern: “However, it is unhealthy if other substances are added to the plastic, such as bisphenol A (BPA).
It was only added to the list of substances of very high concern in the EU in January 2017 because of its harmful effects on the endocrine system.”
As the study by the environmental organization WWF shows, a considerable amount of plastic also ends up in our bodies through the consumption of marine animals.
To prevent more plastic from ending up in the waterways, here are creative ideas to combat the flood of plastic waste.