People consuming more micro-plastics daily: New study

More micro-plastics are ending up in food and the main culprit is the washing of synthetic clothing in the washing machine, according to a new study by the Plastic Soup Foundation, ANP reports.

While machine washing synthetic clothing, 35 percent of the so-called primary micro-plastics pass into the water and eventually end up in the food we eat. The Foundation found micro-plastics in plankton, farmed and wild mussels, sea salt and honey. The total number of animal species that suffer under micro-plastics currently stand at 1,220 and it continues to rise, according to the Foundation.

"It's been known for some time that micro-plastics from cosmetics end up in our water, but this study shows that pollution from clothing fibers is many times bigger", the Foundation said. The use of synthetic fibers in clothing increased significantly over the past 30 years.