NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA — New research from the World Wide Fund for Nature and the University of Newcastle, Australia suggests that humans consume roughly 2,000 pieces of microplastics, or five grams of plastic, a week.
This is equivalent to eating a credit card a week.
Microplastic particles are less than five millimeters in length and are approximately the size of a sesame seed.
The study found that the number increases to 21 grams of plastic pieces a month, which is equivalent to the weight of a hanger or the amount of microplastics needed to fill half a rice bowl.
Every six months we consume 125 grams of plastic, which is enough plastic to fill an entire cereal bowl.
According to the study, this turns into roughly 250 grams of microplastics in a year, or a dinner plate full of plastic.
The study found that we consume approximately 20 kilograms of microplastics in our lifetime, or roughly the weight of two mobile recycling bins, according to Reuters.
The study notes that the largest source of plastic ingestion around the world is through water consumption, either ground water, surface water, tap water or bottled water.
The study also estimates that a small number of microplastics may enter the body through inhalation.
Researchers mentioned that the long term effect of microplastics on our health is unclear and that additional studies are still needed to understand the effect of plastic on human health.