Plastic pollution has become so severe that it poisons the body. For the first time, microplastics have been found flowing in human blood vessels.
In the journal Environment International, scientists from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam developed a method to accurately measure the concentration of microplastics in human blood for the first time.
As they suspected, the study showed that the microplastics that contaminate land, sea and air end up in the human bloodstream. The team tested the blood of 22 people for five types of commonly used plastics, and found that 17 samples (77%) contained small amounts of microplastics.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, and styrene polymers were the most common types of plastic found in blood samples, followed by polymethyl methacrylate. This is the type of plastic we find everywhere, from drink bottles and shopping bags to food packaging and disposable tableware.
Quoted from IFL Science, the amount of plastic in the bloodstream is very small, comparable to one teaspoon of plastic in 1,000 liters of blood. But that's enough to raise concerns that the ingredient will have an impact on our health.
"We have now proven that our bloodstream, our river of life, has plastic in it," said Marja Lamoree, study author and ecotoxicologist from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
"This data is the first of its kind and should be expanded to gain insight into how widespread plastic pollution is in the human body, and how harmful it is. With these insights, we can determine whether exposure to plastic particles poses a threat to public health," he said.
Commenting on the research, independent scientists working in the field have praised the work. They said the study was very interesting and "powerful", despite the small sample size.
The human body is actually full of microplastics. Research in 2020 showed that microplastics and nanoplastics can be found in organs and deep in human tissues. This material is also productive in our feces.
The effects of microplastics on human health are not fully understood by science and broader evidence of the toxicity of microplastics in the human diet is also scant.
The World Health Organization (WHO) currently says there is no evidence to suggest a human health problem caused by microplastics in drinking water, although they note this is based on the limited information currently available.
However, with more and more studies finding that microplastics can be found in every nook and cranny of our bodies, this is a question that needs a clear answer as soon as possible.