Microplastics are no longer found only in the ocean, drinking water,\nor processed foods, but are also present in the fruits and vegetables\nconsumed daily by the public.<\/p>\n
Research published in Environmental Research in February 2024 shows\nthat these tiny plastic particles can enter plant tissues through soil,\nwater, as well as through food cultivation and distribution\nprocesses.<\/p>\n
According to Environmental Research, researchers observed more than\n12 commonly consumed proteins, including beef, breaded shrimp and other\ntypes of shrimp, chicken breast and nuggets, pork, seafood, and tofu.\nAdditionally, researchers examined several plant-based meat\nalternatives, such as nuggets, plant-based crumbles similar to ground\nbeef, and plant-based fish sticks.<\/p>\n
From this, researchers found that almost 90% of the proteins studied\ncontained microplastics. A study published in August 2020 in\nEnvironmental Science found approximately 52,050 to 233,000 plastic\nparticles smaller than 10 micrometres in various types of fruits and\nvegetables.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, it was discovered that apples and carrots are the most\ncontaminated fruits and vegetables, with more than 100,000 microplastics\nper gram.<\/p>\n
The smallest microplastic particles were found in carrots, while the\nlargest plastic fragments were found in lettuce.<\/p>\n
Another study conducted by researchers from the University of\nCatania, Italy, also found small plastic particles in fruits and\nvegetables such as carrots, lettuce, apples, and pears.<\/p>\n
Apples have one of the highest microplastic counts among fruits,\naveraging 195,500 plastic particles per gram, while pears contain an\naverage of approximately 189,500 plastic particles per gram.<\/p>\n
Broccoli and carrots proved to be the most contaminated vegetables,\nwith an average of more than 100,000 plastic particles per gram.<\/p>\n
Two previously published studies found that microplastics penetrate\nthe roots of lettuce and wheat plants, and nanoplastics are absorbed by\nplant roots. Fruits and vegetables can accumulate microplastics through\nabsorption from contaminated water or soil.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we bite into an apple, we are very likely also consuming\nmicroplastics,\u201d explained Sion Chan, a Greenpeace East Asia campaigner\nbased in Hong Kong.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fruits-and-vegetables-with-highest-microplastic-contamination-widely-consumed-in-indonesia-1781344279", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }