Can you imagine eating 11 thousand pieces of plastic a year? Absolutely not? Well, think again.
According to Dr. Lincoln Fok from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong, if you enjoy eating shellfish, you may be consuming as much as 11 thousand pieces of microplastics a year.
But how do these microplastics find their way into the shellfish?
Sea creatures such as shellfish often mistake plastics and microbeads floating in the ocean as food, and inadvertently consume them.
So what happens to us when we consume these sea creatures?
It's still hard to say with absolute certainty as scientific research into the impact of microplastics on human health is still in its infancy.
Dr. Fok's research shows that 60 percent of fishes sold in open markets contain microplastics, plastics that cannot be seen or removed. /CGTN Photo
But Dr. Fok noted, microplastics absorb pollutants from the environment. This means that the contaminants will get transferred and may eventually reach humans through the food chain.
In addition, Dr. Fok added that the chemicals found in microplastics are hazardous, even toxic. Some also contain endocrine disruptors.
Endocrine disruptors are chemical compositions that mimic human hormones and can disrupt the natural composition of our bodies.
So even though the impact of microplastics on human health is still uncertain, Dr. Fok said studies have shown that some species of endocrine disruptors are likely to cause cancer and liver diseases.
The ocean is full of invisible plastic particles, entering the food chain that can do untold harm to the human body. /CGTN Photo
Worrisome effects of microplastics
Speaking to CGTN's "Assignment Asia," Dr. Fok said that there is no practical way to treat microplastics once they enter the environment.
While it is technically possible to construct machines to capture everything that floats on the ocean's surface, such a method is not only expensive; it is also incapable of telling the difference between plastics and floating organisms.
Even though scientists recently discovered an enzyme that eats plastic, this works only under very specific laboratory conditions and with specialized equipment, Dr. Fok noted.
Assignment Asia is CGTN's award-winning current affairs program featuring long-form stories and documentaries on some of the most pressing issues in the region. The show airs Saturdays at 1330 and 2130 GMT, with replays every Sunday at 0630, Monday at 0130, and Tuesday at 0530.