Scientists Find New Pollutant in Human Blood for the First Time
Plastic pollution has now reached into the human body, according to a new story.
A Dutch study published in Environment International found microplastics in the bloodstreams of nearly 80 percent of 22 volunteers tested, according to the website phys.org.
The results showed that half of those tested contained PET plastic, used for water bottles, while more than a third had polystyrene in their blood. That is used for disposable food containers
“This is the first time we have actually been able to detect and quantify” microplastics in human blood, said Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Microplastic particles were found in human blood for first time in a study pic.twitter.com/X1OvXlSQKb
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 26, 2022
“This is proof that we have plastics in our body — and we shouldn’t,” he said.
“It is certainly reasonable to be concerned,” Vethaak said, according to the Guardian. “The particles are there and are transported throughout the body.”
He noted that past research has shown babies excrete plastic from the bottles used to feed them.
“We also know in general that babies and young children are more vulnerable to chemical and particle exposure,” he explained. “That worries me a lot.”
He said more research is needed to determine the impacts of plastic in humans’ blood.
Microplastics were detected in human blood for the first time, according to a new study.
Most samples were plastics linked to water bottles and polystyrene, reports @guardian. Past research found microplastics can cause cell death and can pass the blood-brain barrier in mice. pic.twitter.com/WpC4QJBN7o
— AJ+ (@ajplus) March 24, 2022
“Where is it going in your body? Can it be eliminated? Excreted? Or is it retained in certain organs, accumulating maybe, or is it even able to pass the blood-brain barrier?” he questioned, according to phys.org.
“It is scientifically plausible that plastic particles may be transported to organs via the bloodstream,” the study stated.
Alice Horton, anthropogenic contaminants scientist at Britain’s National Oceanography Center, said the study “contributes to the evidence that plastic particles have not just pervaded throughout the environment, but are pervading our bodies, too.”
PLASTIC IN HUMAN BLOOD!
While speaking about, how #microplastics can affect infants, Dr. Sanjith Saseedharan calls microplastics “a curse to humanity.”
Discriminate good plastics from bad ones says, Professor @DickVethaak
Experts speak on #PlasticPollution ⏬ pic.twitter.com/clRqXctxk4
— Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) March 26, 2022
A new study noted that much needs to be learned.
“More detailed research on how MNPs affect the structures and processes of the human body, and whether and how MNPs can transform cells and induce carcinogenesis is urgently needed, particularly in light of the exponential increase in plastic production and the ensuing accumulation of non-degradable MNPs, the problem is becoming more urgent with each day,” the study reported, using the acronym for micro- and nanoplastics.
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