How many microplastics people take in per week without knowing it

Did you know that you probably take in microplastics through your food every week, without noticing anything? The particles are microscopically small, tasteless and completely invisible. They are in your drinking water, in seafood, in packaged food and, something many people do not know, directly in the meals you prepare at home. The debate about how many microplastics you take in per week has grown strongly in science in recent years, and the findings give food for thought.

In this article you will read what studies say about the amount you take in each week, which sources in your daily diet play the biggest role, what happens in your body once those particles are inside, and what you can concretely do to reduce your intake.

What exactly are microplastics?

Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than five millimetres. They form in two ways. First: larger plastic objects break down into ever smaller pieces through ageing, UV radiation and mechanical wear. Second: some products already contain microscopically small plastic particles by design, such as microbeads in certain cosmetics and abrasive cleaners.

Within that category there is also the term nanoplastics: particles smaller than one micrometre. They are so small that they can pass through cell membranes, which potentially makes them harder for the body to remove. Scientists are actively investigating the difference in behaviour and risk between the two categories.

What they have in common: they hardly break down in the environment. They accumulate in soil, water and air, and sooner or later they also end up in the food chain. Microplastics in food have now been found in almost every category: from fish and seafood to vegetables, fruit, beer, honey and salt.

How many microplastics do you take in per week: what does research say?

This is exactly the question researchers disagree on, and it is fair to say so. In 2019 the WWF published a report, carried out by the University of Newcastle, claiming that people take in an average of five grams of microplastics per week, roughly the weight of a credit card. That figure hit the headlines worldwide and is still widely quoted.

More recent and methodologically refined studies question that estimate. Using a new model, Wageningen University calculated that the majority of the world population takes in about 0.0041 milligrams of microplastics per week through food, less than a grain of salt. That is a huge difference. At the same time, the same research shows that for a small minority, people whose diet leans heavily on packaged food and seafood, intake can rise to more than 676 milligrams per week.

What this underlines: the amount of microplastics you take in per week depends heavily on what you eat, how it is packaged and how it is prepared. An average does not really exist. What is certain: everyone takes in microplastics every week, through several sources at once.

The main sources of microplastics in food

Not every source contributes equally. Some are better known than others. Below are the main routes by which microplastics end up in your food.

Seafood and fish

Marine animals filter water and take in microplastics in the process. Research shows that about one in three fish has microplastics in its digestive system. With mussels, prawns and oysters you also eat the whole animal, including the digestive tract, so exposure is higher than with fish where you only eat the flesh.

Bottled water and tap water

Bottled water contains detectable amounts of microplastics, partly because of the plastic bottle itself. Research has found that 93 percent of the popular bottled water brands studied contain microplastics, on average around 325 particles per litre. Tap water in the Netherlands, for example, is relatively clean, but microplastics have been found in it too, often via pipes and treatment processes.

Packaged and heated food

Plastic packaging releases particles, especially on contact with fatty or acidic foods and when heated. In February 2026, Greenpeace International published an analysis showing that heating ready meals in plastic packaging can release hundreds of thousands of micro- and nanoplastic particles, together with chemical additives from the plastic. A label such as 'microwave safe' says something about the mechanical resistance of the plastic, not about what is released during heating.

Fruit and vegetables via the soil

Dutch research showed that microplastics enter the roots of crops via irrigation water and so end up in the edible parts of plants. Root vegetables such as carrots and radishes, and leafy greens such as lettuce, appear to be the most vulnerable to this form of pollution.

The plastic cutting board: an underestimated source

Here is a source that stayed under the radar for a long time. Research by North Dakota State University, published in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology in 2023, analysed what happens when you cut food on a plastic cutting board every day. The conclusion: with daily use, polyethylene and polypropylene cutting boards can release up to 79 million microplastic particles per year. Those particles are smaller than a hundredth of a millimetre and cannot be seen with the naked eye. They land directly on the food at the moment it is prepared.

Scientists literally describe the plastic cutting board as a source of microplastics in food as "overlooked". The reason is simple: when people think of microplastics, they think of the sea, packaging or industry. Not of the board on which they cut their vegetables every evening.

If you would like to read more about the hygienic and bacteriological side of cutting boards, this article gives a good overview: which cutting board is the most hygienic.

What happens when microplastics enter your body?

Most swallowed microplastic particles leave the body via the stool, with estimates of more than ninety percent. But some, especially the very smallest particles, can pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream. Research by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, published in 2022 and confirmed with a larger test group in 2024, showed that microplastics are present in the blood of Dutch people. The Dutch RIVM confirms that microplastics have now been found in human blood, lungs and the placenta of pregnant women.

The long-term effects are still the subject of active research. Preliminary findings point to possible inflammatory reactions, disruption of the gut flora and possible hormone disruption from plasticisers that may be present in plastic. In a clinical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024, patients with microplastics in their artery walls had a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke than patients without. That is the first time a direct link with a serious health effect in humans has been demonstrated.

The ZonMw Microplastics and Health programme and the MOMENTUM consortium in the Netherlands carry out ongoing research into the relationship between microplastics and human health. Their message is consistent: the exact long-term effects are not yet fully known, but there is enough reason to reduce exposure where possible.

For a more detailed picture of what science has established so far about health effects, read more in this article: are microplastics harmful to your health.

Reducing microplastics: what can you do yourself in the kitchen?

It is virtually impossible to avoid microplastics completely. They are in the air, in water and in many food products. But there are sources you can switch off yourself, without having to turn your lifestyle completely upside down. Those are exactly the sources worth starting with.

• Replace your plastic cutting board. This is one of the direct measures you can take tomorrow. A cutting board made of stainless steel, wood or glass does not release microplastics into food. The TitanChef stainless steel cutting board is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel, a non-porous material that does not wear with normal cutting and does not shed particles into your food.
• Do not heat food in plastic packaging. Choose glass or ceramic in the microwave. It saves you substantial exposure to both microplastics and chemical additives from the plastic.
• Choose tap water over bottled water. Tap water in many European countries is of high quality and contains fewer microplastics than most bottled water brands. If you want extra certainty, use a water filter.
• Cut down on heavily packaged food. The less plastic touches your food, the lower the chance of migration. This applies especially to fatty or acidic products and products that have been in their packaging for a long time.
• Wash fruit and vegetables well. Research shows that washing removes some of the microplastics from the surface, although it does not protect against particles that have penetrated deeper into the plant tissue.

Of all these steps, replacing the plastic cutting board is the easiest to put into practice right away. It is a source that is entirely in your own hands, and one that contributes every day to the amount of microplastics in food you take in. For a complete overview of the different cutting board materials and their pros and cons, read more in the cutting board material comparison.

Microplastics per week: the key takeaways

The exact amount of microplastics you take in per week varies per person and has not yet been scientifically established for certain. That it happens, and through several channels at once, is beyond dispute. The cutting board is a source that long remained overlooked, while research by North Dakota State University shows that with daily use it can release up to tens of millions of particles per year. That is a concrete fact, and it is a source you can tackle yourself.

The science on health effects is developing rapidly. What is already known gives reason for caution, not for panic. Prevention where possible is the logical principle here. And the cutting board is exactly the kind of choice where that can be done without much effort.

Looking for a cutting board without plastic? The TitanChef Original is made of 304 stainless steel and does not release microplastics.

Want to know more? Also read are microplastics harmful to your health?

Below you will find the TitanChef stainless steel cutting boards.