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How 'Microplastics' found in human blood can deform human cells - Know everything about it
As per WWF, humans ingest enough plastic to fill a cereal bowl every six months.
Updated : Mar 25, 2022, 03:39 PM IST | Edited by : Anupama Yadav
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A recent study conducted by a group of scientists in the Netherlands found Microplastics in human blood for the first time. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are less than 0.2 of an inch (5mm) in diameter.
Blood samples from 22 22 anonymous healthy adult individuals were taken for analysis and at least 17 out of the 22 had microplastics in their blood.
Humans having microplastics in their body is not new - it can be found in the brain, gut, the placenta of unborn babies and the faeces of adults and infants but this is the first time it has been found in the blood.
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Speaking to the Guardian, study author Professor Dick Vethaak at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands said, "Our study is the first indication that we have polymer particles in our blood – it's a breakthrough result."
He further added, "But we have to extend the research and increase the sample sizes, the number of polymers assessed, etc."
The study was tested for five different types of plastic – polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethene (PE), and polyethene terephthalate (PET). The study was published in the journal Environment International.
While 50 per cent of the blood samples contained polyethene terephthalate (PET), 36 per cent) contained polystyrene, 23 per cent contained polyethene and 5 per cent had polymethyl methacrylate and no blood samples contained polypropylene.
What harm can microplastics do?
Microplastics can cause intestinal inflammation, gut microbiome disturbances and other problems in non-human animals as per a study conducted in 2021. It can also deform human cell membranes.
The amount of plastic humans consume is unfathomable. As per a study in 2019, humans tend to consume tens of thousands of these particles every year and as per WWF, humans ingest enough plastic to fill a cereal bowl every six months.
