It is a worrying pollution that we had already spotted in the oceans, in certain foods and even in the pure air of the mountains. This time, it’s unprecedented, scientists have found microplastics in human blood
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These researchers from the Free University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, analyzed the blood samples of 22 anonymous donors – all healthy adults – and they found microparticles of plastic in 17 of them, or 80 % of panel. “This is the first time that we have been able to detect and quantify” such microplastics in human blood, explain these researchers whose work has been published in an international journal on environmental sciences. Their sample is small but their methodology is considered to be very robust.
Half of the samples contained PET – polyethylene terephthalate –, found in the composition of plastic bottles or polyester clothing in particular. More than a third of the samples also contained polystyrene, used among other things for food packaging. And there were also traces of polyethylene, which we find in plastic bags. These are particularly fine particles, invisible to the naked eye, at least 0.0007 millimeters.
For the researchers, these microplastics were able to penetrate the body both by inhaling particles in the air, as well as by water, food, or even by contact with hygiene or cosmetic products. These mechanisms remain to be elucidated.
It is not yet known whether this may have any health consequences qwhen these microplastics end up in our body. For now, it’s the unknown. The body is able to evacuate some of these plastics, by natural means, but can another part remain stored in the organs? And from what concentrations, could they trigger a disease? These are the questions these scientists would like to answer.
In 2020, microplastics were found in the placenta of women during childbirth, without any apparent consequences on their pregnancy. But some laboratory studies have shown that microplastics can damage human cells. This team from the University of Amsterdam is therefore asking for funding to continue their research. And there is urgency: the production of plastic should double again by 2040. However, only 10% of plastic waste is recycled worldwide and this raises the question of its persistence in our environment.