Microplastics are infiltrating the food we eat
A 2022 analysis by the Environmental Working Group discovered that sewage sludge contaminated almost 20 million acres of US land, containing plastic PFAS that can't break down in the environment. Microplastics have rapidly infiltrated the entire planet, finding their way into the guts of marine animals and even the drinking water people consume daily. It is pertinent to note that in circular economies, sewage is used as an alternative organic fertiliser because of its high nutrient, which then comes around to growing in the fruits and vegetables people consume on a daily basis. An estimation of 8-10 million tonnes of sewage sludge is produced in Europe each year, 40% of which is used as farm fertiliser. European farmland thus becomes the greatest global reservoir for microplastics. according to researchers at Cardiff University. This translates to around 31,000 and 42,000 tonnes of microplastics, or 86 trillion to 710 trillion microplastic particles, contaminating European f...