In Semarang, toddlers and the elderly get most of their microplastic exposure from eating crabs, because crabs contain high levels of microplastics in their internal organs and people commonly eat...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
When people eat whole crabs, they swallow tiny plastic bits hidden in the meat and organs. These plastics don’t get digested and can slip into the bloodstream, building up over time. Toddlers and older adults take in more of these plastics because they eat more crab relative to other foods, and...
Most probable mechanism
When people eat whole crabs, they swallow tiny plastic pieces hidden in the meat and organs. These plastics don’t break down in the gut, so they stay inside the digestive tract and can pass into the bloodstream, building up over time. Toddlers and older adults are more affected because they eat more crab relative to other foods, and their bodies are less able to clear out these particles.
Microplastic particles present in the soft tissues and internal organs of crabs are ingested during consumption of whole crabs.
Ingested microplastics resist enzymatic degradation and remain intact within the gastrointestinal lumen.
Particles smaller than 10 micrometers translocate across the intestinal epithelium into the lamina propria and enter systemic circulation.
Accumulation occurs in tissues due to limited clearance mechanisms, particularly in populations with higher consumption frequency and reduced excretory efficiency.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Community contributions welcome
Assessing Age‐Specific Variability in Microplastic Intake Through Seafood Consumption: A Case Study in Central Java, Indonesia
Contradicting (0)
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