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Plastic and people: from shrimp to the dinner plate

Perhaps you’re thinking oh - plastics aren’t my problem. Turtles getting trapped is sad, but I’m safe. 


You’d be wrong. The idea that plastic pollution only affects wildlife is a dangerous misconception. In reality, humans are part of the marine food web, and we’re already consuming the consequences of plastic waste. 


Microplastics - particles smaller than 5mm - are now found in 99% of seafood. Shrimp, mussels, fish and even sea salt have tested positive for plastic contamination. A 2022 study carried out by the University of Hull in the UK found microplastics in 100% of mollusc samples.


Sources of microplastics

Where do these microplastics come from? Surprisingly, clothing and textiles are a major source - responsible for over 80% of microplastics (UNEP 2021). Every time a synthetic fabric like polyester or nylon is worn or washed, it sheds tiny fibres. These make their way through wastewater systems, many of which are unable to filter them out, especially in developing countries. 


Other sources include:

  • Tyre wear

  • Paint

  • Construction and building materials (polystyrene) 

  • Plastic feedstock that is called plastic pellets

  • Cosmetic products (like face and body scrubs with microbeads)

  • Industrial waste

  • Packaging breakdown


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Once ingested by fish or shellfish, microplastics can bioaccumulate - building up in tissues, organs and reproductive systems. The chemicals attached to plastics - like BPA, phthalates and flame retardants - are known to disrupt hormones and may increase cancer risks. 


Health implications


Microplastics aren’t just in seafood. We are ingesting them daily. They’ve been found in human blood and organs, human brains, breast milk and placentas. The long-term health implications are still unclear, but the potential for immune system disruption, infertility and developmental harm is significant.


These stats aren’t meant to cause alarm, they’re meant to inspire action before related health impacts get out of control. Plastic pollution is no longer confined to ocean gyres or distant shorelines - it’s in our bodies, our homes and our future. We must act not just out of concern for whales and turtles, but for our own health and survival.


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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk


Images:

Seafood - Wix image

two yellow cells inside a cell - Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash (ST ref:1348)


Thanks to Frédérique Mongodin from Seas at Risk and Laura Díaz Sánchez from BFFP for editorial support.

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