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Microplastics found in the human body for the first time

According to a report released by the OECD on 3 March, global annual production of plastic products will reach 1.2 billion tons by 2060, nearly three times the current level. If recycling rates are not improved, the amount of plastic waste will also have to nearly triple. What’s alarming is the sheer volume, distribution, and impact of plastic waste. Studies have shown that plastic particles have been found in deep-sea fish and on the Arctic seabed. It is estimated that plastic litter kills more than 1 million seabirds and more than 100,000 marine mammals each year. And the dangers of plastic products are not only these. In a recent study published in Environment International, a top journal in environmental science and health, microplastics were detected in nearly 80 percent of the blood samples from 22 healthy volunteers – the first time microplastics have been found in blood samples. Microplastics are everywhere, from Mount Everest to the Marianas Trench. How do they get into human blood? What are the risks to human health? Can we stop further microplastic damage?

The Growing Plastic Crisis

“Plastic pollution is one of the most serious environmental challenges of the 21st century, causing widespread damage to environmental systems and human health,” said OECD Secretary-General Marius Coleman. Meanwhile, OECD data shows that global plastic use in 2019 was about 460 million tons, twice as much as 20 years ago. The amount of plastic waste has also nearly doubled to more than 350 million tons, of which less than 10 percent is recycled.

A report released by the OECD on June 3 stated that: Since the 1950s, humans have produced about 8.3 billion tons of plastic products, 60 percent of which are landfilled, burned, or dumped directly into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Based on current trends, the number of plastic products used in North America, Europe, and East Asia will double by 2060; in other emerging markets and developing countries, the amount will increase three to five times; and in sub-Saharan Africa, it will increase more than six times. At the same time, impacted by economic development and population growth, the global production of plastic products is inevitable, but effective recycling policies can significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste.

Microplastics found in blood samples for the first time

In 2004, Thompson et al. of the University of Plymouth published a paper in the journal Science. They first introduced the concept of “microplastics” by studying plastic debris in marine waters and sediments. Microplastics are plastic fragments and particles less than 5 mm in diameter. With the advancement of analysis and detection technology, the microplastics we can find are getting smaller and smaller. Microplastics have been found in a wide range of particle sizes, even to the micron and nanometer levels.

The smaller the particles of microplastics, there is higher the probability that they will enter the bloodstream. A few years ago, an article in the leading academic journal Environmental Science and Technology mentioned that smaller particles, less than 10 microns, have the potential to cross cell membranes and enter all organs of the body through the bloodstream. This risk is higher if the microplastic particle size reaches the nanometer level. But this is only theoretical speculation. Previous studies have found microplastics in the human brain, intestines, placentas of unborn babies, and adult and infant feces; they have never been found in blood samples.

This latest study, on the other hand, makes the previous fears a reality. The new study comes from the Free University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where the researchers found microplastics in nearly 80 percent of the blood samples from 22 anonymous healthy volunteers. Surprisingly, they tested a total of five plastic components, but one volunteer’s blood sample had three of them present at the same time.

How do microplastics enter the bloodstream?

Behind the omnipresence of microplastics is the rapidly growing plastics industry. The plastics industry started to develop in 1950 and now, the global annual production of plastics has reached 300 million tons. The advantages of high corrosion resistance, low manufacturing cost, durability, water resistance, lightweight, malleability, and good insulation have led to the widespread use of plastic products. However, the treatment of waste plastics is a big problem. If incinerated, burning will produce toxic gases; if reused plastic, the cost is very high; if the waste plastic in nature is slowly degraded, some varieties of plastic will take more than 400 years. So, people thought of the sea. Nearly 13 million tons of waste plastics are released into rivers and oceans every year.

It is these hard-to-handle plastics that become the source of microplastics that enter human blood. Analysis of the new study concludes that microplastics in human blood are most likely to enter the body through mucosal contact, in the respiratory system. Smaller particles that are inhaled may be absorbed and accumulate in the lungs, while most larger particles are swallowed because of coughing and absorbed by the body through the epithelial cells of the intestine.

Professor Liu Jianguo of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University added that rainfall is also an essential way for microplastics to enter the human body. Rainfall can make microplastics enter the water body, and then enter the human body through food such as fish and shrimp. A study carried out two years ago found that there are more microplastics in sea salt, which is also a way for microplastics to enter the human body.

High temperature is also an accomplice. Under high temperatures, there will be microplastics from the plastic cup wall off and then into the coffee and other drinks. Liu Jianguo indicated that a study revealed that the plastic film on the surface of disposable paper cups may also be partially shed and absorbed by the body. In addition, there are a large number of microplastics from clothes. The high-speed rotation of the washing machine will make the tiny plastic fragments on clothes fall off and enter the water, which may eventually enter the body through food and other means.

However, the researchers said that whether the microplastic particles will remain in the human body, or be transported to other organs, whether it will cause disease and other issues, are to be further explored. Moreover, the blood samples for this study came from only 22 volunteers, a relatively small number of samples, and there may be a certain amount of error.

Stopping the further expansion of microplastic harm requires immediate action. The good news is that international action related to waste plastic management has already commenced. in early March, the Resumed Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly adopted the (Draft) Resolution on Ending Plastic Pollution, which was approved for endorsement by heads of state, environment ministers, and other representatives from 175 countries. What we need to do as ordinary people is still to insist on reducing the use of plastic products and pay more attention to environmental issues.

By Shiyue Luo

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