According to a 2019 paper called 'Human Consumption of Microplastics', the average person eats, drinks and breathes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles every year — and researchers say this is likely an underestimate.

Using the paper's findings, Statista visualized the biggest known sources of the microplastics we consume day to day.

The main source is bottled water, which contains an average of 94 microplastic particles per liter. The second biggest source is beer with 32 particles, but the third — and perhaps most concerning — is air.

According to research, the air inhaled by humans contains 9.8 microplastic particles per m³, on average.

Via Statista.

[Image credit: Jonathan Chng]