Microplastics are ubiquitous particles that have become a permanent part of the planet's environment. They form links in food chains and are present in the bodies of animals, humans and even in our blood! What is microplastic and is it safe? The answers are not simple, but one thing is certain - microplastics are a macro problem.
Microplastics - what is it?
The concept of microplastics is increasingly finding its way to a wide audience who do not always know what they are dealing with. The cluster of words may give the idea of small pieces of plastic, often imperceptible to the human eye, but it is a much more complex phenomenon. Above all, it should not be ignored, as the consequences of its presence in the environment are even fatal for some lives.
Microplastics are particles smaller than 5 millimetres formed from the fragmentation of plastics. They are used in industry, e.g. in the production of glitter, toothpaste, UV filters and are formed by the decomposition of plastics (e.g. PET bottles). The most common substances are polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene.
The sources of microplastics vary, but there is a main division of plastics into secondary and primary microplastics. The former is created by shredding larger plastic products, while the latter are deliberately created particles smaller than 5 mm.
In recent years, nanoplastics, i.e. particles smaller than a few millimetres, have also begun to be distinguished. The popularisation of this phenomenon is due to the fact that nanoplastics are far more difficult to capture than microplastics. Because of their microscopic size, it is even easier for them to penetrate deep into organisms and their tissues, which can be harmful to the health and life of living organisms on the planet. 
Microplastics - where do they come from in food?
Microplastics become present in food due to their use cycle. Typically, microplastic used in cosmetics (scrubs, toothpaste, glitter), precipitated from clothing materials during the rinsing of particles in laundry or resulting from the decomposition of plastic products ends up in water via the sewage system.
Microplastic has become a component of ocean water, and because of its small size, it can easily find its way into aquatic animal organisms. In this way, microplastic makes its way up the food chain until it reaches humans.
The world of seas and oceans is particularly threatened by the effects of nanoplastics, but scientists have discovered that microplastics can also be carried by insects, which also results in reaching the human digestive system. Is it possible to say how much microplastic we eat? Researchers estimate that it is about 5 grams per day. In addition, people deliver microplastic to their bodies with bottled drinking water, most often sold in PET bottles. This means that we ingest microplastic in both food and drink.
How does microplastics affect our health?
Due to the ubiquity of plastic, the presence of the waste produced from it, including microplastic, is inevitable. The harmfulness of this substance is still being investigated, although it is indicated that its presence in soils can disrupt their functioning and have a negative impact on even the smallest organisms.
The harmfulness of microplastics on the human body usually manifests itself most clearly in the respiratory system through the ease with which the granules are drawn in with the air. Further effects are an increased risk of cancer and digestive complaints, which are most dependent on the amount of microplastic ingested.
Another negative effect on humans is the addition of substances to plastics to improve their performance characteristics. Bisphenol A and phthalates exhibit toxic properties that affect the endocrine system inappropriately and therefore have a negative effect on reproduction.
The presence of microplastic in the human body is not just an assumption, but a real phenomenon - a 2018 study of people from different countries (including Poland) found that microplastic was present in the faeces of all participants. What's more, a more recent study from 2022 showed that nanoplastic is also present in human blood - 17 out of 22 samples contained it. 
Microplastics - environmental impact
These particles pose a huge threat to the environment. Scientists have investigated the link between microplastics and the health of the planet. The presence of waste results in reduced zooplankton, which affects their poorer reproduction and less frequent hatching of new generations from eggs. By mistaking microplastics for small organisms, fish and other marine creatures take them in as food, affecting their size and also contaminating their guts, leading to higher mortality rates.
The problem with the presence of microplastics is that the particles can release toxic substances that are catastrophic in their effects, both to the environment and to living organisms. Despite the fact that they are microplastics, they are a macro problem. Because of their size, sewage treatment plants are powerless against them, and microplastics reach the seas via sewers, run-off from roads or through the decomposition of plastic already on the water.
As much as 30 per cent of microplastic comes from traffic; reducing it is at your fingertips - by using InPost's services, your parcels can arrive in zero-emission vehicles, and there is a reduction in vehicle traffic around the city - delivery arrives at the Parcel Machine with many parcels, rather than to each individual customer. That's less microplastic from exhaust fumes and tyre wear.
