According to a recent study, global food security is severely threatened by the impact of microplastics on the world’s food production. The study claims that microplastics negatively affect the capacity of plants for photosynthesis, which causes important crops such as maize, rice and wheat. Experts estimate that these staples are being lost due to extensive pollution between 4% to 14% of crops. Since microplastic contamination continues to increase, the effects may deteriorate in the coming years.
Mentor A report was published on the basis of this study in which researchers suggest that microplastic pollution probably put an additional 400 million people at risk of starvation by 2040, can already spoil the strict hunger crisis already affecting 700 million people in 2022. However, in relation to findings, experts emphasized the need for further studies to confirm and refine the data.
The loss of annual crop caused by microplastics may occur on a scale as people caused by climate crisis in recent decades, the researchers said behind the new research. According to the news report, the world is already facing a challenge to produce enough food, the global population is expected to grow up to 10 billion by 2058.
Microplastics are broken by the huge amounts of waste dumped in the environment. They obstruct the plants ranging from the exploitation of sunlight, ranging from growing in many ways, damaging the soil to carrying toxic chemicals. The particles have infiltrated the entire planet from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.
Researchers, led by Professor Huan Jhong at Nanjing University in China, said, “Humanity is trying to increase food production to feed a growing population (but). These ongoing efforts are now being threatened by plastic pollution.” “Conclusions underline urgency (pollution cuts) to protect global food supply in front of the growing plastic crisis.”
New study, Published in the Journal Prosecution of National Academy of Sciences, Combined more than 3,000 comments of microplastics effect on plants taken from 157 studies.
Previous research has indicated that microplastics can damage plants in many ways. Polluting particles can reach the sunlight to reach the leaves and damage the soil on which the plants depend. When taken by plants, microplastics can block nutrients and water channels, inducting unstable volatile molecules and can release toxic chemicals, which can reduce the level of photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll.
