By Haeley Cole-Boksner
Photo: iStock
Microplastics can be found in clothing, makeup products, and even McDonald’s fries. All things many consume, but never associate with starvation. A recent scientific article published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) demonstrates the connection between microplastics and food security.
Microplastic exposure causes plants to have a 7.05 to 12.12% decrease in photosynthesis. Researchers estimate a loss of 109.73 to 360.87 million metric tons of crops including 59.61 million metric tons lost in rice alone and 1.05 to 24.33 million metric tons of seafood production. The estimated seafood loss would be enough to feed 26.85 to 123.10 million adults. This is incredibly detrimental to communities that rely on seafood both as a food source and for their local economy.
In addition, microplastic pollution undermines global efforts to improve food security and they are a potential obstacle in the way of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, and 14. Not only do microplastics hinder food production, but they also pose other health concerns due to the risk of consuming food or water containing microplastics. Scientists predict that the link between microplastics and photosynthesis reduction extends as far as overall ecosystem stability due to its adverse effects on key ecological functions. However, hope is not lost. Global plastic mitigation efforts can help alleviate the problem. A 12.6% decrease in microplastic pollution concentration is enough to reduce losses in essential crops such as wheat, rice, and maize by 22.15 to 115.73 million metric tons per year.
Most individuals may be guilty of overconsumption without even realizing it. These scientific findings bring the ironic link between overconsumption and hunger to the surface.
Bibliography:
Zhu, R., Zhang, Z., Zhang, N., Zhong, H., Zhou, F., Zhang, X., Liu, C., Huang, Y., Yuan, Y., Wang, Y., Li, C., Shi, H., Rillig, M. C., Dang, F., Ren, H., Zhang, Y., & Xing, B. (2025). A global estimate of multiecosystem photosynthesis losses under microplastic pollution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(11). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2423957122