For the first time, scientists in the Netherlands have discovered a piece of plastic (microplastic) in human blood.
In a paper published in Environment International, researchers found plastic in the blood of 17 of 22 study participants or about 77 percent.
Scientists have discovered five types of plastics in human blood. This is said to be very worrying. Researchers took blood samples from anonymous, healthy adults, and looked for plastics that were between seven hundred and Five lakhs nanometers.
In research, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly used in disposable water bottles, was the most widely encountered plastic polymer. It was found in about 50 percent of the donors.
The second most common, polystyrene (PS), which is used for food packaging and polystyrene foam, was found in about 36 percent of people. In addition, 23 percent of people have polythene (PE) found in plastic bags. Only one person found polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
None of the people have polypropylene (PP) in their blood, according to the study. The participants could have been exposed to microplastics through the air, water, and food, but also through personal care products, like toothpaste or lip gloss, that might have been accidentally ingested.
These plastic particles can cause inflammation of the human intestine as well as other problems. According to Wethak, a professor at Bridge University in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, microplastic particles can spread throughout the body and cause fatal diseases.
More research is needed to determine the human health risks involved with plastic in the bloodstream.
