According to University of Queensland research, people are consuming 3-4 milligrams of plastic for every 100 grams of rice they eat, with the number jumping to 13 milligrams per serve for instant rice.
This means that Australians may consume around 1g plastic per person via rice annually.
How has this happened?
Packaging is one source of contamination, however the processing of the rice before it gets put into a bag or during growing are also sources of contamination.
What can you do?
Wash your rice – it reduces plastics contamination by 20-40% – although this sends the plastics down the drain with the water to become a problem elsewhere, it reduces individual consumption of plastics.
Reduce your use of plastics where possible, say no to single use plastics such as straws and disposable cutlery, and recycle.
Sources:
Microplastics detected in rice – 9news.com.au
Coupons: Flat 10% discount on laptops and accessories with Lenovo coupons Online Coupons and Best Deals Watch the brand new historical drama series Domina now on Stan. Search properties in AUS Top …
Research reveals plastic levels in food staples
Lead author Dr Jake O’Brien from UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) said this world-first study quantified the levels of microplastics in rice. “Rice is a staple food around the world, so it is important we understand the quantity of microplastics we could be consuming,” Dr O’Brien said.
stories.uq.edu.au
Felicity Maher
Sustainability Officer
Full article here
