Microplastics are now everywhere in the human body. Wherever researchers have looked for them, there they are.
The highest concentrations were found in vital organs such as the brain, but also the placenta and the cardiovascular tree. For example, in the brain, the levels of micro- and nanoplastics detected in an average-weight adult brain correspond to the equivalent of a third of a 1.5-liter plastic bottle. This is highlighted by research commissioned by Vera Studio to a group of experts from the ‘Luigi Vanvitelli' University of Campania.
The research, conducted by Raffaele Marfella, of the department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences; Pasquale Iovino, from the Department of Biological and Pharmaceutical Environmental Sciences and Technologies, and Francesco Prattichizzo, from Irccs MultiMedica, a scientific and technological center in Milan, summarize the sources of exposure to micro and nanoplastics, the types of these particles and the pathological associations connected. The results were presented at the Planetary Health Festival – The Italian Festival of Planetary Health, which ends today in Verona.
In recent years, researchers from around the world have begun to explore the accumulation of these pollutants in the human body and their potential health consequences. The most frequently encountered micro- and nanoplastics come from materials widely used in daily life, such as beverage and food containers, water pipes and synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester. These materials – explain the researchers – represent sources that are difficult to quantify, since they are present in the air (both internal and environmental), in water (especially bottled), in packaged food and in skin care products. These include nylon tea bags and baby bottles which, following exposure to heat, as in the case of using the microwave, can release large quantities of particles potentially harmful to the body.
“This report is important because it contains, for the first time, the results of all research published internationally. In the investigation it clearly emerges that the quantities of micro and nanoplastics present in many organs of the human body are significant, especially in the brain – underlines Marfella -. In some cases, the incidence of these substances in heart disease, stroke and even Alzheimer's has also been demonstrated. As researchers we will continue to investigate, but it seems necessary to me that the topic of plastics becomes central in the coming years also for the Ministry of Health and not only for that of the Environment”.
The researchers' message is clear: without urgent and global intervention to reduce plastic production and change consumption habits, the impact on human health – and not just the environment – is destined to increase.