Microplastics in the Asian Diet and How to Reduce It
By Najla Zaidi | 05 Aug, 2025

By some estimates, we ingest about a credit card's worth of plastic every single week.

The Asian diet with fresh fish, meats, fruits, soy, vegetables and rice has always been viewed as a better diet than its western counterpart.  However, recent studies indicate that nano- and microplastics have infiltrated our ecosystem and are found in everything from water to Earth’s soil to the air we breathe. 

Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines lead the global per capita list of dietary ingestion of microplastics.  China, Mongolia and the United Kingdom top the list of countries that breathe the most microplastics at more than 2.8 million particles per month, according to a new study by Cornell researchers mapping microplastic uptake across 109 countries.  U.S. residents inhale about 300,000 particles per month, which allowed the U.S. to come 104th out of the 109 countries in breathing airborne microplastics. 

Overall, the study found that Indonesians eat about 15 grams of microplastics per month which is more than any other country, with most plastic particles coming from aquatic sources such as seafood.  This is the equivalent of eating three credit cards worth of plastic per month.  U.S. dietary intake of microplastics is estimated to be about 2.4 grams per month, while the lowest is Paraguay at 0.85 grams.  

If Asian Americans are consuming products that are imported from Asian countries, in addition to the foods that are readily available here in the United States, they are potentially putting themselves at a higher risk for consuming dangerous microplastics than their non-Asian counterparts.  First, let’s look at what microplastics are and their potential effects on health.

Microplastics refer to any plastics smaller than 5 millimeters long.  Microplastics can be divided into primary and secondary plastics.  Primary microplastics are manufactured to be small like microbeads, tiny plastic exfoliants in health and beauty products.  Secondary microplastics are plastic pieces that break down from larger plastic items such as bags or bottles that get broken down over time by the sun or wave movement in the ocean.

Anything smaller than 1 micrometer is a nano-plastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter.  Nano-plastics are the most troublesome type of plastic pollution for human health, experts say.  That’s because the minuscule particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, potentially interrupting cellular processes and depositing endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, and heavy metals.

“All of those chemicals are used in the manufacturing of plastic, so if a plastic makes its way into us, it’s carrying those chemicals with it,” Sherri “Sam” Mason, director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania, said.  “And because the temperature of the body is higher than the outside, those chemicals are going to migrate out of that plastic and end up in our body,” Mason added. 

Research indicates potential health risks from ingesting or inhaling microplastics.  Studies have shown that microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and remain in various organs, potentially causing inflammation or contributing to conditions like dementia and cardiovascular diseases.  Microplastics have been found in the human lung, maternal and fetal placental tissues, human breast milk and human blood.  

A 2024 study found people with microplastics or nano-plastics in arteries in the neck were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from any cause over the next three years than people who had none.  The worry for Asians is that microplastics are found in the most common staples in the Asian diet.

Rice is not only a staple in many Asian diets but also a global food basic.  Studies indicate that rice can contain relatively high levels of microplastics due to contamination from soil, irrigation water and packaging.  A University of Queensland study found that for every 100 grams (1/2 cup) of rice people eat, they consume three to four milligrams of plastic, and the number jumps to 13 milligrams per serving for instant rice.  However, you can reduce plastic contamination by up to 40% by washing rice, researchers said. 

Seafood can contribute up to 70% of microplastic exposure, especially in countries with high seafood consumption.  Microplastics in the ocean accumulate in fish and shellfish, ultimately impacting humans.  Bottom-feeding species, such as clams, oysters and cod, tend to have higher concentrations of microplastics compared to other marine organisms. 

Processed seafood fares no better.  Breaded shrimp, pollock fish sticks, and shrimp also contain microplastics according to Nicholas Mallos, vice president of conservation and ocean plastics, at the Ocean Conservancy.

Seaweed pairs well with rice, ramen, and soups, but it contains high levels of microplastics, especially the seaweed found in sushi.  Seaweed absorbs everything from the water around it, which leads to the high levels of microplastics.

All types of proteins contain microplastics.  Animals ingest microplastics through contaminated food sources, water, and direct consumption of other organisms that have already ingested microplastics.  Animals can also be exposed through inhalation of airborne microplastics, or possibly through skin contact, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In a study published in Environmental Research, researchers looked at over a dozen proteins, including beef, chicken breasts and nuggets, pork, tofu and several plant-based meat alternatives, such as nuggets, and plant crumbles like ground beef.  They found the least contaminated proteins were chicken breasts, followed by pork loin chops and tofu.

Studies show that microplastics enter plants mainly through the root system and leaves.  Microplastics can affect plant physiology, including photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growth, ultimately affecting crop yield and food quality.

A study, published in Environmental Science, found between 52,050 and 233,000 plastic particles under 10 micrometers, about 10 times the diameter of a raindrop, in a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Apples and carrots were the most contaminated with over 100,000 microplastics per gram.  The tiniest particles were found in carrots, while the largest pieces of plastic were found in lettuce, which was also the least contaminated vegetable.

Even tea bags, many of which are made of plastic, can release enormous amounts of plastic.  Researchers at McGill University in Quebec, Canada found brewing a single plastic teabag released about 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nano-plastic particles into the water.  A safer alternative is to use loose leaf tea and a stainless-steel tea basket.

Salt can be full of plastic.  A 2023 study found coarse Himalayan pink salt mined from the ground had the most microplastics, followed by black salt and marine salt.  Sugar is also, “an important route of human exposure to these micropollutants,” according to a 2022 NIH study.

Research has found microplastic contamination even in honey due to environmental pollution.  Bees collect nectar from flowers that have been exposed to microplastic particles in the air or from water sources.  These tiny plastic particles then make their way into the honey we consume.

Let’s not forget plastic water bottles.  One liter of water, the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters, contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics, of which 90% were identified as nano-plastics and the rest were microplastics, according to a study.  “The finding reinforces long-held expert advice to drink tap water from glass or stainless-steel containers to reduce exposure,” Mason said.

So, what can you do to minimize how much microplastic you ingest?

"Use non-plastic reusable materials, especially containers like glass and metal cups, during food processing, storage, and consumption to reduce microplastic contamination from foodstuffs," says Fengqi You, the Roxanne E. and Michael J. Zak Professor in Energy Systems Engineering, who co-authored the Cornell study with doctoral student Xiang Zhao.

According to the study, a 90% reduction in aquatic plastic debris could lead to substantial decreases in microplastic exposure, potentially by up to 51% in developed countries and 49% in industrializing regions.  “Our study highlights that addressing microplastic uptake requires a multifaceted approach, including sustainable packaging solutions, enforcing stringent waste management regulations and advancing water treatment technologies,” said Zhao. 

The U.N. Plastics Treaty is due to discuss microplastics.  The hope is that an international agreement will be achieved to address the hazards of microplastics.