November 7, 2025

 

Seafood unfairly blamed for microplastic exposure, say Australian scientists 

 

 

Marine researchers in Australia say seafood has been unfairly blamed as a major source of human microplastic exposure and worry this perception is discouraging consumption.

 

Analysis by Australian scientists found seafood has received "disproportionate attention" in research and coverage around microplastics, creating a "misconception" that eating fish is the biggest risk.

 

They say more research is needed into microplastics to better understand the sources and risks to human health, with microplastics found in many other foods, dust and soil — not just seafood.

 

University of Adelaide marine scientist Nina Wootton said while microplastics were found in seafood, the sector did not deserve a reputation as the main source of human exposure.

 

"A lot of my research has looked at microplastics in seafood and we find that there is a fair bit of microplastic coming up in seafood, but this new study is showing that it's not always fair that it gets such a bad reputation in the media, when there is microplastic unfortunately in everything," Dr Wootton said.

 

"Relative to what we're finding in other food sources and other consumption methods like breathing, seafood is not as bad as what it may seem, as what the media shows it to be."

 

She said the concentration of microplastics found in seafood was comparable to other foods such as salt, honey and chicken — but significantly less than exposure from bottled water and indoor dust.

 

However, salt and honey are consumed in lesser volumes than seafood and chicken.

 

Dr Wootton was part of a team of international researchers who reviewed scientific and media coverage of microplastics to find out "why seafood might get a bit of a bad reputation".

 

It found 70% of research on microplastics in food focused on seafood, rather than other sources such as alcohol, indoor air, drinking water and other meat.

 

She said that was partially due to the ease of testing and concerns around marine pollution.

 

"Seafood was one of the first foods that we started to test for microplastics really regularly, I guess because the marine environment gets this reputation as the sinkhole for a lot of plastic pollution," Dr Wootton said.

 

"Now we're starting to realise it's actually in everything, it's not just a seafood avenue — food and drink and other meat sources also have microplastic in them."

 

Dr Wootton said there was limited research into the human health impacts of microplastics, and more was needed.

 

"We know they're finding microplastics in different human organs — but what we don't know is, if that's even doing anything," she said.

 

"Unfortunately, it's just a really tricky wicked problem that's taking a bit of time for the science community to catch up with in terms of the research output."

 

Dr Wootton encouraged people to source their seafood locally, with the industry battling multiple challenges.

 

"The alarmist headlines you see around some of this work are not benefiting anyone," she said.

 

"I know down here in South Australia we have the large [algae] bloom happening, which is already making seafood consumers nervous.

 

"You can buy SA seafood very safely from seafood shops — the fish they are selling are safe to eat.

 

"It's the same with the microplastics. If you love seafood, try to shop locally because our seafood in Australia has much, much less than what is found in overseas samples commonly."

 

Seafood Industry SA CEO Kyri Toumazos believed coverage around microplastics had put some people off seafood, and it was another challenge for the industry to overcome.

 

"I definitely think that whenever there is a health criteria put out there that is not supportive of a product, it does impact people's perceptions, but overall I am very confident also that people clearly understand that seafood is the healthiest form of protein they can consume," Toumazos said.

 

"Seafood in general comes out of pristine environments and Australia, we're very fortunate to have those pristine environments in the Southern Ocean.

 

"If you are concerned about microplastics — which we all are — seafood shouldn't be your priority place to look."

 

-      ABC News