The plastic time bomb: Way out of the crisis:
Microplastics - the invisible danger
Woman eats mussel with plastic part
Projections show that well over 95 percent of the plastic residues in the sea are made of microplastics: particles that are smaller than five millimeters. Experts now suspect that human beings are at risk when eating contaminated seafood. A research study shows that mussels grown on the Scottish coast contain an average of a good 100 microplastic particles. But even if we do not eat seafood, we are exposed to microplastic through the air alone. According to a recent study, around 330,000 tons of microplastics are released into the environment in Germany every year: in rivers, soils and the smallest particles also spread through the air. Almost 40 percent of this comes from the abrasion of car tires, eleven percent from waste disposal and 8.3 percent from the abrasion of road surfaces and construction sites. Microplastics from cosmetics only play a minor role with 0.7 percent.
Researchers suspect that microplastics could cause reactions in the human organism. In an experiment, they brought human cells into contact with microplastics. Particles have penetrated the cells within 24 hours and cause inflammation. Inflammatory diseases on organs such as the lungs or liver would be theoretically conceivable. However, such experiments usually work with much higher concentrations than have so far occurred in the environment. The current exposure to microplastics does not seem to be a cause for concern. But once they get into the environment, the particles do not dissolve for decades - even centuries. They accumulate and become smaller and smaller over time - making them increasingly difficult to control.