KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are estimated to ingest 502.3 milligrams of microplastics per person daily, contributing to over 48,000 new cancer cases annually.
It ranks the country among the top 109 globally in microplastic consumption, Utusan Malaysia reported.
A study by China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), corroborated by the Batu Maung Fisheries Research Institute (IPP) in Penang, found that high levels of microplastic contamination in the Strait of Malacca result from half the population consuming fish.
In a 2021 study, Professor Dr Yusof Shuaib Ibrahim from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) revealed that humans ingest about 5g of microplastics weekly, equivalent to the size of a credit card. Plastics discarded into oceans break down into microplastics, which are ingested by marine life, particularly fish and shellfish.
Public health expert Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) said that chemicals in microplastics, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dissolve into water, soil, and rain before entering the human body.
These chemicals are linked to cancers and fertility problems, contributing to Malaysia's annual 48,639 new cancer cases and a drop in the total fertility rate (TFR) from 2.1 children per woman in 2010 to 1.6 in 2022.
Studies have found that microplastics, measuring 5mm or smaller, are present in seafood like fish, shrimp, and clams. These microplastics can also enter the respiratory system through smoke from burning plastic, then absorb into the blood and organs.
Sharifa added that microplastics are linked to male infertility, heart disease, foetal development issues, cancer, and blood vessel constriction due to the chemicals and dyes they contain.
Globocan (Global Cancer Observatory) projects that Malaysia could see nearly 100,000 new cancer cases by 2040, with concerns that this number may double. Additionally, Malaysia faced its lowest birth rate in five decades last year, with fertility rates dropping from 6.7 children per woman in 1957 to 2.1 in 2010, and 1.6 in 2022.
In 2017, it was estimated that 51 trillion microplastic particles were released into rivers and seas worldwide.