This Jan. 19, 2020, photo shows microplastic debris that has washed up at Depoe Bay, Ore. Dozens of scientists from around the U.S. West will attend a gathering this week in Bremerton, Wash., to better focus the research on the …
“Over the past few decades, microplastics have been found in the ocean, in animals and plants, in tap water and bottled water,” said Eliseo Castillo, an associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in the University of New Mexico School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, according to the New York Post.
The groundbreaking research was led by Mr. Castillo and his team at the university. Over a monthlong study, mice were given water laced with a quantity of microplastics equivalent to what humans reportedly consume on a weekly basis. This amount, according to prior studies, is approximately the weight of a credit card, or five grams.
“These mice were exposed for four weeks. Now, think about how that equates to humans if we’re exposed from birth to old age,” Mr. Castillo said.