P5: Impacts on Human Health

Question 1

Food chain route

Answer 1

Once micro plastics are in the environment they can spread through air water and soil, accumulating in different ecosystems, where they can then enter the body through ingestion, inhalation or through the skin. for example here they are ingested by animals residing in these habitats and are passed through the food chain eventually entering the human body. Microplastic particles have been reported in sea food (including oysters and mussels) and poultry products aswell as fruit and vegetables (absorbed through the soils), food additives and water (from food packaging)

Question 2

Statistics

Answer 2

According to Eze et al. (2024) seafood and water (particularly plastic bottles) have the highest incidence of micro plastics; in a study of oysters in china micro plastics were found in 84% samples, and a study bottled water in different countries found micro plastics in 93% of samples.

Question 3

Impact

Answer 3

This is particularly concerning given that exposure to micro plastics could result in many human diseases including reproductive, respiratory and circulatory disorders and even cancers and there are further impacts which are still unknown given the lack of long term studies around this topic