Fish & Two Plastics
January 8, 2024
A study has examined the extent of microplastic (MP) contamination in 16 commonly consumed protein products in the US, across varying processing levels, brands, and store types. Results showed a mean contamination of 74 ± 220 particles per serving, with highly processed products having significantly more MPs than minimally processed ones. No significant differences were found among products from different brands or store types. Extrapolating these findings to adult protein consumption, the estimated annual exposure to MPs is 11,000 ± 29,000 particles per person, with a maximum of 3.8 million particles per year. This underscores the need for further research into the sources and impacts of MP contamination in the human diet.
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