Small pieces of plastic have been found in supermarket products and on Dutch farms. We don’t know how this affects human health.
For the first time, microplastics have been found in beef and pork. They’ve also been found in the blood of cows and pigs on farms. In their first study, scientists from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) in the Netherlands found microplastics in meat and milk products as well as blood.
They were also found in all of the animal feed which might be one reason for the contamination. The meat and milk products were in plastic packages which can also be a reason.
In March, VUA researchers found microplastics in blood from humans for the first time. Finding the plastic pieces in blood means that they can travel around inside the body.
So far, nobody knows the impact that microplastics have on animal or human health. However, researchers are worried because in laboratory tests, microplastics cause damage to human cells. We also know that wildlife is harmed by microplastics.
A lot of plastic garbage is dumped into nature. Microplastics are everywhere on our planet, in the deepest oceans and even at the top of Mount Everest. People take them into the body through food and water. We can even breathe in microplastics.
Dr Heather Leslie from VUA says that when you measure the plastic in blood, it’s the microplastics from air, water, food, and more. It’s the quickest way to see what’s in your body.
The scientists did the study to find out whether microplastics are in farm animals and the food that comes from them. Leslie says that this study should be motivation to learn more and understand the risks..
The scientists tested blood from 12 different cows and 12 different pigs. Microplastics were found in all of them. They also did 25 milk tests, using milk from cartons in the supermarket, milk tanks on farms and milk directly from the cow. 18 of the tested samples had microplastics in them.
Most of the beef and pork samples were contaminated, too. The report says that these findings don’t explain the health risks.
Microplastics were also found in milk in Switzerland and in France. Products have to be tested in more countries.
The Plastic Soup Foundation ordered the study. Maria Westerbos, from the foundation, says that it’s not surprising that the meat and dairy products have microplastics in them because the feed that the farm animals eat also has plastic in it. She says we urgently need to fix the plastic problem to protect the health of animals and humans.
VOCABULARY
- Dutch – people from the Netherlands (Holland)
- Microplastics – very small pieces of plastic that we usually can’t see with our eyes
- Feed – food for farm animals
- Contamination – when something “dirty” or poisonous is present or in a place it shouldn’t be
- Impact – effect; influence; result; what happens because of it
- Wildlife – animals in nature
- Harm – hurt; damage; injure; mistreat; negatively affect
- Dump – to throw away; to get rid of; to leave behind
- Planet – Earth; a large object or thing in space that goes around a sun
- Measure – to understand or figure out the size, weight, temperature, etc.
- Motivation – a good reason to do something; stimulus; inspiration; initiative
- Carton – a thin cardboard box for food or drink
- Tank – a large storage container for liquid
- Sample – example; specimen; a little piece of something used for testing
- Findings – discovery; results; what you learned from research or testing
Original story from The Guardian below:
Microplastics detected in meat, milk and blood of farm animals | Plastics | The Guardian
