Scientist reveals tiny shards of plastic lurking inside fish fingers

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Scientist uses a microscope to reveal the shocking microscopic shards of plastic lurking inside fish fingers

  • Scientist found microplastics in one brand of fish fingers out under microscope
  • Microplastics can end up in vital human organs such as kidneys if consumed 
  • The tiny shards of plastic are from broken down consumer products 

By Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A scientist has put the microscope on a disturbing discovery inside fish fingers and the impact it could have on your health.

The Australian expert showed how microplastics, small pieces of plastic debris caused by the disposal and breakdown of consumer products, get lodged in fish. 

He bought the cheapest fish fingers he could find, sliced them into thin pieces, and used a microscope to reveal the tiny plastic shards.

He said the much-loved frozen food contained ‘a fair amount’ of microplastics, which if consumed could end up in human organs.

The fish fingers contained, microplastics, which can impact on human organs if eaten

‘You might be thinking that it doesn’t matter if I eat it anyway, so what,’ the scientist from One Min Micro explained.

‘But researchers have found microplastics accumulating in important organs such as your kidneys and there is concern for the toxicity of these chemicals, as well as their physical presence as they’re just not degrading.

‘So we don’t know what the long term health impact will look like.’

He told Daily Mail Australia the results were based on the findings of just one brand and stressed that it may not represent other processed fish products.

A microscopic view of microplastics found in fish fingers

Micrplastics are small pieces of plastic debris caused by the disposal and breakdown of consumer product

The scientists conceded he only tested one brand of fish fingers for microplastics

‘No need to abandon fish fingers – maybe different brands are sourced differently,’ he said. 

Many viewers were shocked, but others pointed out microplastics can also be found in other common foods such as fruit and vegetables. 

 University of Queensland researchers revealed Australians may consume up to 4mg of plastic in an average 100g serve of uncooked rice.

Boiling the rice to cook it is unlikely to get rid of the microplastics as it has no filtration system.

The scientist urged everyone to do their own research after he found microplastics inside one brand of fish fingers

The scientist urged everyone to do their own research after he found microplastics inside one brand of fish fingers

 What are microplastics?

Description:

Microplastics are defined as tiny pieces of plastic that are less than 5mm in length – about the size of a sesame seed.

There’s an even smaller type of microplastic – nanoplastic – which is the result of microplastics breaking down even further and are less than 100 nanometers (nm).

The most common causes for microplastics entering the environment are surface run-off after heavy rain or a flood, treated and untreated wastewater effluent, industrial effluent, sewer overflows and atmospheric deposition.

Primary and secondary microplastics:

Primary microplastics are intentionally manufactured in the size of a microplastic size for either industrial abrasives used in sandblasting and microbeads used in cosmetics and skin care products.

Secondary microplastics are formed by the weathering of larger plastic items after being released into the environment.

Credit: Choice.com.au