What are the effects of microplastics on human health?

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that can get inside our bodies and affect how we feel.

Imagine you're eating a cookie, but instead of being soft and sweet, it's full of little bits of hard plastic, like tiny grains of sand mixed in with your favorite treat. That’s what happens when microplastics get into our food or water. They’re so small that we can’t see them, but they're still there, working their way through our bodies.

Microplastics can cause inflammation, which is like a tiny fire inside your body, it makes you feel uncomfortable and tired. If they get into your lungs or stomach, they might even make you sick. It's like when you swallow a piece of gravel, it doesn’t feel good, and it takes time to pass through.

Microplastics come from things we use every day, like shoes, clothes, and even toothpaste. When we wash our clothes or brush our teeth, little plastic bits go into the water, and eventually, they end up in our food and drink.

So next time you take a sip of water or eat a sandwich, remember, it might be full of tiny plastic friends traveling with you!