Microplastics already find their way into human blood. 8 out of 10 people are affected

A study has detected for the first time the presence of microplastics in human blood samples, but it is nothing extraordinary: if analyzes were donewould be found in 8 out of 10 people.

The finding implies that microplastics are also found in blood-supplied organs. Scientists do not know what the health effects may be. By now you know that microplastics damage cells in laboratory cultures.

Why is there plastic in the blood?

The presence of microplastics in the blood is the consequence of consuming plastic that inevitably ends up in landfills or dirtying the environment, where breaks down into small particles that can be inhaled or can contaminate food. Microplastics are also released from the polyester clothing that is worn, from polyethylene rugs, from Teflon pans and from countless objects made of this ubiquitous synthetic material.

The scientists analyzed blood samples from 22 healthy adults and found plastic particles in 17. Half of the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in beverage bottles, while a third contained polystyrene, which is used to package food and other products. A quarter of the blood samples contained polyethylene, from which plastic bags are made.

Previous studies had found that 10 times more microplastics were found in infant feces than in adults due to particles that come off the bottles.

Is the presence of microplastics in the blood worrisome?

“Our study is the first indication that we have polymer particles in our blood,” said Professor Dick Vethaak, one of the study authors, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije University Amsterdam in the Netherlands. “But we have to extend the research and increase the sample sizes, the number of polymers tested, etc.” More studies are already underway by various groups, he noted.

“It is logical to be concerned. The particles are there and are transported throughout the body,” Vethaak told the newspaper. The Guardian. We also know that, in general, Babies and young children are more vulnerable to exposure to chemicals and particulates,” he said. “That worries me a lot.”

The new research is published in the journal Environment International and adapted existing techniques to detect and analyze particles as small as 0.0007 mm. Some of the blood samples contained two or three types of plastic. The team used steel syringe needles and glass tubes to avoid contamination.

Vethaak acknowledged that the amount and type of plastic varied considerably between the blood samples. The differences could reflect short-term exposure before the blood samples were taken, such as drink from a plastic lined coffee cup or wear a plastic face mask.

What are the effects of microplastics on health?

The big question is what is happening in our body? Are the particles retained in the body? Are they transported to certain organs? Can they reach the brain, for example? Are the levels high enough to trigger disease? Many more studies are needed to answer all these questions.

So far there is no study that has directly examined the effects of microplastics in humans. The only available data is based on laboratory studies exposing microplastics to human cells or tissue, or to animals such as mice or rats. Worryingly, mice given large amounts of microplastics were found to have inflammation in the small intestine, a reduced sperm count and fewer and smaller pups, compared to control groups.

Money is needed for more research

The Dutch research was funded by the Dutch National Organization for Health Research and Development and Common Seas, a social enterprise that works to reduce plastic pollution.

Common Seas, along with more than 80 NGOs, scientists and MPs, are calling on the UK government to allocate £15m to research into the impacts of plastic on human health. The EU is already funding research on the impact of microplastics on fetuses and babies, and on the immune system.

A recent study found that microplastics can stick to the outer membranes of red blood cells and can limit their ability to carry oxygen.

the particles too have been found in the placenta of pregnant women. In pregnant rats, they rapidly pass through the lungs to the heart, brain, and other organs of the fetus.

More articles on microplastics in Cuerpomente.

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