Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Plastic waste is not only pollution that pollutes the environment, but has also entered the human body through food.
A number of studies show that meat and vegetables and fruit consumed by humans actually contain very small plastic particles, in the form of nanoplastics and microplastics. So, what types of vegetables and fruit have a very high risk of plastic contamination?
AsaRen Clinical & Scientific Lead, Dr. Meryl “Mimi” Kallman, MD revealed that root vegetables, such as turnips and carrots, have the potential to contain high levels of microplastics. Moreover, if it is planted in soil that is likely to have a high concentration of microplastics.
“Because plastic tends to collect in plant roots. Therefore, it is best to look for food in the form of leaves because they have a lower concentration of microplastics than roots or stems,” explained Dr. Mimi to CNBC Indonesia.
“So, it's best to look for food that has leaves and has a lower concentration of microplastics than root or stem vegetables,” he added.
According to Dr. Mimi, a number of factors that pollute the soil with microplastics are the habit of throwing rubbish carelessly and burning rubbish on the ground surface.
In connection with Dr. Mimi, a study published by Environmental Research in 2020 found that fruit and vegetables sold by local traders in Catania, Sicily, Italy contained microplastics and nanoplastics.
The study report states that root vegetables, such as carrots and radishes, have higher concentrations of microplastic contamination than leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage. According to researchers, leafy vegetables have relatively low levels of microplastics.
“In particular, apples were the most contaminated fruit samples, while carrots were the most contaminated vegetables,” the researchers said in the study report.
Health impacts if microplastics enter the body
Food containing microplastics is very dangerous if eaten by humans. One of the health risks that lurks as a result of consuming food containing microplastics is inflammation.
“Consuming microplastics from food does carry potential health risks. Several studies have shown a link [mikroplastik] with inflammation and potential toxicity,” said Dr. Mimi.
Based on a number of studies, Dr. Mimi revealed that there were a number of cases where microplastics were found in human blood. As a result, the potential for inflammation can arise.
“Microplastics can be found in the blood and cause inflammation,” said Dr. Mimi.
However, he said that the long-term effects of microplastics on human health still require further research. This is because the phenomenon of microplastics contained in food is something new that is still being researched.
In order to minimize the potential for consuming microplastics, Dr. Mimi appealed to the public to reduce consumption of food packaged in single-use plastic and switch to eating fresh food.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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