Recently, scientists identified detectable quantities of plastic particles in human circulation for the first time in studies. They believe that plastic may build in our bodies via daily activities, including drinking water from water bottles, keeping food in supermarket bags, plastic toys, and throwaway cutlery, among others, and end up in our bloodstream in measurable amounts.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, and polymers of styrene were the most prevalent forms of plastics identified in blood samples, followed by polyethylene (methyl methacrylate). Polypropylene was also tested, but the amounts were too low to read accurately.
Environment International found that microscopic bits of plastic from our living environment get absorbed into human circulation.
PET is widely found in soda and water bottles; containers; polyethylene in milk and household cleaning bottles; blow-extruded shopping bags, caps, and toys; and styrene polymers in disposable cutlery, plastic models, CD, and DVD covers.
“We have now demonstrated that our bloodstream, our river of life, as it were, has plastic in it,” said ecotoxicologist Heather Leslie of Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
Applied method:
The researchers devised a technique for determining the trace amount of micro and nano plastic particles in human blood. The study involved 22 people whose blood was tested for the presence of five distinct polymers or plastic building blocks.
According to the study, three-quarters of the test individuals looked to have plastics in their blood.
While previous evidence came from laboratory trials, the current study demonstrates that humans absorb microplastics from their surroundings daily and that the levels are quantifiable.
The total concentration of plastic particles in the blood of the 22 donors was 1.6 micrograms per milliliter (ug/ml), which is equivalent to a teaspoon of plastic in 1,000 liters of water (10 large bathtubs).
A percent of the donors examined had no measurable amounts of plastic particles in their blood.
“This is the first dataset of its sort, and it must be enlarged to obtain insight into how ubiquitous plastic pollution is in human bodies and how hazardous it may be.” “With this knowledge, we can assess if exposure to plastic particles harms public health,” said university analytical chemist Marja Lamoree.
The team’s next goal is to investigate how easily these particles migrate from the bloodstream into tissues, like those found in organs like the brain.
The authored article is written by Sejal Wakkar and shared with Prittle Prattle News exclusively.
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