A typical human may be eating five grams of microplastics every seven days, which is the equivalent to the weight of a credit card.
Research undertaken by WWF marine police suggests people take in nearly 2,000 particles every seven days through inhalation, drinking water and beer, or consuming shellfish and salt.
The long-term consequences of plastic ingestion have yet to be fully researched or understood.
In the US, 94.4% of tap water was found to contain plastic particles, while European water fared a little better with plastic particles found in 72.2%.
WWF marine police head Alec Taylor said the report “must serve as a wake-up call to the UK Government. We don’t want plastic in our ocean, and we don’t want it on our plates."
Mr Taylor called on leaders to create a global and legally-binding agreement to halt plastic pollution.
