Microplastics Found in Human Blood - NL-019
European scientists have uncovered the presence of microplastics in human blood.
In the Netherlands, researchers took blood from 22 anonymous healthy individuals and studied the samples for minuscule particles of 0.00002 of an inch. The results of the study revealed that 17 of them, amounting to 77.2%, had microplastics in their blood.
To evaluate the five kinds of plastic, the experiment was conducted on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The term microplastic, refers to “plastic particles for which no universally established definition exists” however, this is not consistent and in some scientific literature, it is “often defined as plastic particles up to 5 mm in dimensions with no defined lower size limit.”
In their study, the researchers stipulated that the plastic particles examined could be taken in through cell membranes in the human body. Specifically, these particles were capable of being retained on a filter with a pore size of 700 nanometres, implying that these particles are of a size greater than 700 nanometres.
This is quite alarming, to be sure. The results of the experiment have verified that the particles are present in the bloodstream of the trial participants, meaning they are being conveyed across their entire body.
Investigations have revealed that the amount of microplastics contained in the stool of infants is ten times higher than that found in adults. This is due to the fact that babies are consuming numerous microplastic particles when they utilise plastic bottles for drinking.
The lead researcher in the study stated that they are aware that infants and toddlers are more susceptible to chemical and particle contamination.
A pressing concern is to understand the mechanisms occurring within us. Are the molecules staying put in our body? Are they making their way to organs, such as breaching the blood-brain barrier? And are the amounts enough to cause sickness?