ALOR SETAR - Individuals who continuously or over a long period consume food containing microplastics may face health risks such as heart attacks and strokes.
Putra Medical Centre’s sports medicine consultant, Dr Wan Mohd Asyraf Abd Rauf, said the accumulation of these substances, which usually enter the body unnoticed, could harm human health.
According to him, besides increasing the risk of heart attacks, prolonged exposure to microplastics also raised the risk of stroke, poisoning and digestive problems in humans.
"Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring five millimetres or less.
"In 2014, it was estimated that around 15 to 51 trillion pieces of microplastics were present in the oceans worldwide. Although small, the impact of microplastics on health is significant," he said.
Asyraf said that other living organisms also experienced negative effects if they consumed substances containing microplastics, such as plastic pellets in fish feed.
"This is very concerning to the community, including traders who may still be unaware of this issue.
"Plastic pellets can cause the absorption of toxins into the fish, leading to these toxins entering the ecosystem and eventually into the human diet," he mentioned.
He noted that it also disrupts marine life, including the food cycle in sea creatures.
"If fish feed based on plastic is widely used, it can cause chemical reactions in the fish's body, leading to toxin accumulation in the fish's nerves and stunting their growth," he said.
Asyraf also stated that if humans consumed fish containing microplastics, it could lead to digestive problems.
"It also leads to poisoning issues, especially when we consume seafood, where the poisoning is not caused by toxic algae but by chemicals in the plastic," he explained.
He hoped the community would reduce plastic usage by systematically adopting changes, including prioritising durable and recyclable items.
"One way to reduce the plastic footprint is by using stainless steel or glass containers," he said.
In early July, the Kedah Department of Environment (JAS) raided a recycling plant suspected of processing used plastic into fish feed pellets in the Kuala Muda district.
The plant was believed to be operating illegally, making pellets packed in fish feed bags.
Meanwhile, in Oct last year, the country was shocked by a video going viral of a user in Sabah claiming the presence of plastic rice in the market.