microplastic particles taken in per person per year
People ingest 39,000–52,000 microplastic particles a year through food and drink, rising to 74,000–121,000 when breathing is included.
- Value
- 74,000–121,000
- Unit
- particles per person
- Data year
- 2019
- Trend
- Not applicable
- Source name
- Cox et al. 2019, Environmental Science & Technology
- Source link
- doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517
- Confidence
- Evidence: Medium
- Caveat / scope
- Covers about 15% of calorie intake, so likely an underestimate of particles; says nothing about mass or harm. Where a single number is needed, we use the middle of the range.
- Verified on
- 22 September 2026
Sources last verified 22 September 2026. Page updated 24 September 2026. How we check sources