Alarming! Microplastics Found In Human Blood For The First Time, Researchers Concerned

Different campaigns are being run around the world to stop the use of single-use plastic. Some time back, there were reports that micro-plastics was reaching the body of sea creatures, causing sudden deaths.

A shocking new study has now revealed the presence of plastic particles in human blood. According to the study, 77 per cent of the people tested had microplastic particles in their bloodstream reported NDTV.

The study by Dutch researchers found that Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) was the most prevalent form of plastic found in human blood. PET is commonly used for water, food, and clothing packaging, and polystyrene was the second most frequently found plastic in human blood samples after PET.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic less than 0.2 of an inch (5mm) in diameter.

Five Types Of Plastics Tested

According to the research published in the journal Environment International, blood samples of 22 adults were taken to test for five types of plastic; polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The results surprised researchers when they found that 17 out of 22 blood donors had a quantifiable mass of plastic particles in their blood. In blood samples, polystyrene was found to be the second most abundant plastic after PET.

As per the study, the amount of polyethylene, terephthalate was found in the blood of 50 per cent of the people tested. At the same time, polystyrene was present in the blood of 36 per cent of the people.

How It Enters The Body

This discovery shows that microplastics can move from one place to another in the human body and accumulate in human organs. According to a report in the British daily, The Independent, the authors of the research have concluded that plastic can enter the human body through air as well as through food and drink. The study's findings are certainly alarming because it shows that people apparently swallow or inhale so much plastic that it can be now found in the bloodstream.

The report suggests that these plastic particles in the body can also cause chronic inflammation.

Prof Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and lead author of the study, told The Guardian, "Our research is the first indication that there are polymeric particles inside our blood. This is an important discovery. Scientists are now considering to increase this research further."

Also Read: Asia's Largest Slum Dharavi Gets Rid Of COVID Menace As Active Cases Touch 'Zero' Since Pandemic Outbreak