AI Study Links Microplastics to Reduced Food Production Worldwide
Microplastics — tiny plastic fragments — may pose a growing threat to global food systems. According to a new AI-led study that reviewed 157 reports, microplastics can reduce photosynthesis in plants and aquatic algae by up to 12%. This can decrease yields of essential crops like rice, maize, and wheat by 4% to 14%.
The particles, some as small as one micron, are capable of entering plant cells and damaging chloroplasts, the parts responsible for photosynthesis. In marine ecosystems, microplastics stress algae, leading to reduced oxygen and food for fish.
While the study offers important insights, experts caution its findings are based on limited and varied data. Microplastics differ widely in type, size, and toxicity. This diversity makes it hard to predict their full impact.
Still, the growing presence of microplastics in ecosystems cannot be ignored.
The World Economic Forum has named microplastics one of the top ten global threats. It estimates that the average person ingests up to 211,000 particles annually. Emissions are projected to rise, possibly doubling to 40 million tonnes by 2040.
Yet despite the urgency, major research institutions in the US and Europe face funding cuts. With potential risks to crops and seafood supply chains, scientists stress the need for more targeted and long-term research. The world must act before microplastics create irreversible damage to food production.