(CNN) Globally, we are ingesting an average of 5 grams of plastic every week, the equivalent of a credit card, a new study suggests. This plastic contamination comes from "microplastics" -- particles smaller than five millimeters -- which are making their way into our food, drinking water and even the air. The largest source of plastic ingestion is drinking water, according to the research, which reviews 52 existing studies to estimate plastic ingestion around the world. The research was commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for its report "No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People." Shellfish is the second biggest source of plastic ingestion, with the average person consuming as many as 182 microparticles -- 0.5 grams -- from this per week.

Source: CNN June 12, 2019 02:03 UTC