We're not eating food anymore.

This is to bring to your attention the content of what we really eat. I've mentioned a few facts about the truth of our diet, especially seafood. So I'd urge everyone to read the whole post and at least be aware of the grave situation we face.

I'm going to talk about microplastic ingestion, something that has gained the interests of scientists around the world and has risen through the ranks of becoming one of the most profound issues of today.

Microplastics are bits of plastic whose size is at the millimeter range, but it's said that they're often smaller than that and are visible only through microscopes. Essentially, when we carelessly throw away pieces of plastic without realizing that it's going to end up in landfills or the ocean, which we do inspite of the knowledge of the happenings, these pieces of plastic get broken down into micr-sized particles over a period of time. When that happens, they can easily be displaced by wind and water currents. What that means is that the plastic thrown away into the great pacific garbage patch, bits of that waste can find their way onto your dinner plate and settle as plastic dust on your food, and it's impossible for the naked eye to notice these microplastics due to their extremely small size. What that means is that you could be eating pieces of plastic along with your dinner. Surprising? There's much more and I want you to stay on this page and read the whole thing.

Now, studies have shown that current levels of microplastic ingestion don't promote noticeable health issues. But what they also say is that there's a chance that the immune system could be affected by higher levels of microplastic ingestion due to various reasons. Now imagine, if the source of one particular piece of microplastic is the electronics industry. As you know, the industry does involve a lot of plastic-based packaging, component fabrication, etc. But also, the industry does involve a lot of operations with toxic metals- Lithium, Lead, Mercury, etc. So now imagine the same piece of plastic mixing with these toxins and getting flushed into rivers and naturally occuring water bodies. Now imagine fish ingesting the same bits of microplastic mistaking it for food (something that happens very commonly). Now imagine you eating that fish. That's the seriousness of the issue which our generation needs to understand.

Hang on, there's more. When I went through National Geographic's website (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/you-eat-thousands-of-bits-of-plastic-every-year/#:~:targetText=Humans%20consume%20microplastics%20via%20many,amounts%20of%20its%20plastic%20packaging.&targetText=Fragments%20of%20plastic%20like%20those,second%20most%20common%20plastic%20found.), this is what I found:

"Last October, microplastics were found in fecal samples from eight people participating in a pilot study to research how much humans might be inadvertently consuming plastic.

Now, a new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology says it's possible that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year. With added estimates of how much microplastic might be inhaled, that number is more than 74,000. The study reviewed existing research on microplastics found in beer, salt, seafood, sugar, alcohol, and honey. Currently, the existing research on microplastics in food represents only 15 percent of the calories consumed by the average person".

What you see above is a magnified image of bits of microplastic in the form of fabric thread, in table salt crystals. Look at how tiny these things can get- imagine where all such small pieces of plastic could go- literally everything we eat, drink, breathe, could have these bits and pieces.

Microplastic ingestion is extremely difficult if not almost impossible to address with current levels of plastic production. Agreed. But following a few lifestyle practices can help reduce the amount of plastic we ingest through food and drinks at least.

1. According to an article on the Guardian, scientists say that "Some of the best available data is on water, with bottled water containing 22 times more microplastic than tap water on average. A person who only drank bottled water would consume 130,000 particles per year from that source alone, the researchers said, compared with 4,000 from tap water". What this means is that simply carying your own water bottles made of metal or glass instead of relying on bottled water to the places you visit can make us 22 times less vulnerable to having our immunity system affected.

2. Over the long run, avoiding single-use plastic bags and choosing to carry your own bags made of reused or recycled material can signal a demand for more sustainable and environment-friendly materials. Whenever possible, choose reuse over recycled, since it usually takes a lot more energy to recycle things than reuse.

3. I'm a personal fan of having extended meals, talking to people as we slowly enjoy our meal. I love to have a one-hour lunch while discussing about a lot of things, and it's hard for me to say this, but we need to cut short our meal time, thereby reducing the duration for which the food is left open to the environment, thereby reducing the amount of plastic that settles on it. And also, we need to follow the practice that we've been taught since childhood- keep food closed with a lid. That further reduces the amount of plastics that can settle on our food.

I think we all need to be more responsible in our actions not just because our health is at stake, but the fact that the plastic we use once tortures the ocean forever- in the literal sense- our single-use plastics are the greatest source of concern for marine life. I mean, the very fact that humanity has to clarify that any lives matter should be concern enough.

Do watch this slideshow:

The original intention of photography was to capture moments so that they can stay in our memory forever and we can live those moments again in the future, whenever we want, and the issue of plastic being such a big concern is really sad for a photographer like me because of just how many photographers are dedicating their career towards capturing scenes of animals being trapped in plastic, eating plastic, being entangled in plastic, and how many photos showcasing such agony keep coming out every day. I personally feel sad for how photography has developed this new genre to capture sad things like this. Just like how the model Swarup (in the first photo) watches above with confusion and wonder, I too am filled with confusion and wonder when presented with the facts, but I tell myself this: We're not eating real food here. We're eating plastic.

Stay tuned as next time, I shall cover some ways to go plastic-free in the UAE and some ways to transition to a more sustainable lifestyle.