For the first time, microplastics were found in human blood

The new discovery shows that these microplastics can move around the body and reside in different organs.

According to the Guardian, this is the first time that microplastic contamination has been detected in human blood. Scientists found these tiny particles in the blood of nearly 80% of people tested.

The discovery shows that particles can travel around the body and enter many organs. Currently, they are not able to determine the health effects of microplastics. However, the researchers expressed concern. Because microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory. Microscopic air pollution particles have entered the body, causing millions of premature deaths each year.

The particles can move around the body and enter many organs.

Massive amounts of plastic waste are released into the environment and microplastics are polluting the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. Previous studies have also shown that humans ingest microscopic particles through food, water or breathing. They have been found in the feces of infants and adults.

The team of experts analyzed blood samples from 22 anonymous donors, all of whom were healthy adults. From here, they found plastic particles in 17 people. In particular, 50% of the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in beverage bottles. One-third contains polystyrene, which is used to package food and other products. In addition, a quarter of blood samples contained polyethylene, the substance that makes nylon bags.

'Our study is the first indication of the existence of polymeric particles in human blood. This is a groundbreaking result,' said Professor Dick Vethaak, an expert in ecotoxicology, Vrije University Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The expert added: 'But we have to expand the study and increase the sample size, the number of polymers evaluated'. Another group of experts is undertaking further research on these issues.

Commenting on the appearance of microplastics in human blood, Prof Vethaak told the Guardian: 'This is very reasonable. They are already in the blood and are carried throughout the body'. According to Mr. Vethaak, previous studies have also shown that microplastic particles are 10 times higher in the feces of infants than in adults, and that bottle-fed babies are swallowing millions of microplastics every day. 'Infants and young children are more vulnerable to chemicals and particles. That worries me a lot,' the expert expressed.

In the new study, published in the journal Environment International, the authors adapted a detection technique that recognizes and analyzes microscopic particles up to 0.0007 mm in size. Some blood samples contain two or three different types of microplastics.

Prof Vethaak revealed that the amount and type of resin varied significantly between the blood samples. He affirmed that this is pioneering research and opens up a series of problems to be solved. Distinct phenomena may reflect brief exposure prior to blood sampling, such as volunteers drinking from a plastic-lined coffee cup or wearing a plastic mask.

"The big question is what's going on in our bodies? Are the particles retained in the body? Are they transported to certain organs, cross the blood-brain barrier, for example? And is this much enough to trigger the disease? We urgently ask for funding to do more research,' Prof Vethaak said, whose research was supported by the National Foundation for Research and Sponsored by the Netherlands Marine and Health Development, this is a business that works to reduce plastic pollution.

Jo Royle, founder of charity Common Seas, said: 'Plastic production will double by 2040. We have the right to know everything about these plastics and what they are doing to our bodies. people'.

Common Seas and more than 80 NGOs and scientists are asking the UK government to allocate £15 million to research into the impact of plastic on human health. The EU has funded research on the effects of microplastics on fetuses and infants, as well as on the immune system.

A recent study found that microplastics can adhere to the outer membranes of red blood cells and limit their ability to carry oxygen. Microplastics have also been found in the placenta of pregnant women, and in pregnant mice, they travel rapidly through the lungs into the heart, brain and other organs of the fetus.

A new paper published on March 23, co-authored by Professor Vethaak, assessed the risk of cancer and concluded: 'To study in more detail how micro- and nanoplastics affect structure, In the human body, whether they can transform cells and cause carcinogens is very urgent, especially in the context of exponential growth in plastic production. The problem is becoming more urgent every day'.