Tag: microplastics

Categories : Dermatology Environmental EffectsTags :

Toxic Chemicals from Microplastics can be Absorbed through Skin

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Toxic chemicals used to flame-proof plastic materials can be absorbed into the body through skin, via contact with microplastics, new research shows. The study offers the first experimental evidence that chemicals present as additives in microplastics can leach into human sweat, and then be absorbed through the skin, into the bloodstream.

Many chemicals used as flame retardants and plasticisers have already been banned, due to evidence of adverse health effects including damage to the liver or nervous system, cancer, and risks to reproductive health. However, these chemicals are still present in the environment in older electronics, furniture, carpets, and building materials.

While the harm caused by microplastics is not fully understood, there is increasing concern over their role as conduits of human exposure to toxic chemicals.

The research team demonstrated in a study published last year, that chemicals were leached from microplastics into human sweat. The current study now shows that those chemicals can also be absorbed from sweat across the skin barrier into the body.

In their experiments, the team used innovative 3D human skin models as alternatives to laboratory animals and excised human tissues. The models were exposed over a 24-hour period to two common forms of microplastics containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a chemical group commonly used to flame retard plastics.

The results, published in Environment International, showed that as much as 8% of the chemical exposed could be taken up by the skin, with more hydrated – or ‘sweatier’ – skin absorbing higher levels of chemical. The study provides the first experimental evidence into how this process contributes to levels of toxic chemicals found in the body.

Dr Ovokeroye Abafe, now at Brunel University, carried out the research while at the University of Birmingham. He said: “Microplastics are everywhere in the environment and yet we still know relatively little about the health problems that they can cause. Our research shows that they play a role as ‘carriers’ of harmful chemicals, which can get into our bloodstream through the skin. These chemicals are persistent, so with continuous or regular exposure to them, there will be a gradual accumulation to the point where they start to cause harm.”

Dr Mohamed Abdallah, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and principal investigator for the project, said: “These findings provide important evidence for regulators and policymakers to improve legislation around microplastics and safeguard public health against harmful exposure.”

Professor Stuart Harrad, co-author of the paper, added “the study provides an important step forward in understanding the risks of exposure to microplastics on our health. Building on our results, more research is required to fully understand the different pathways of human exposure to microplastics and how to mitigate the risk from such exposure.”

In future research, the team plan to investigate other routes through which microplastics could be responsible for toxic chemicals entering the body, including inhalation and ingestion.

Source: University of Birmingham

Categories : Environmental EffectsTags :

Microplastics Found in Every Human Placenta Tested in Study

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A flurry of recent studies has found that microplastics are present in virtually everything we consume, from bottled water to meat and plant-based food. Now, University of New Mexico Health Sciences researchers have used a new analytical tool to measure the microplastics present in human placentas.

In a study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, a team led by Matthew Campen, PhD, Regents’ Professor in the UNM Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reported finding microplastics in all 62 of the placenta samples tested, with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.

Although those numbers may seem small, Campen is worried about the health effects of a steadily rising volume of microplastics in the environment.

For toxicologists, “dose makes the poison,” he said. “If the dose keeps going up, we start to worry. If we’re seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this plant could be impacted. That’s not good.”

In the study, Campen and his team, partnering with colleagues at the Baylor College of Medicine and Oklahoma State University, analyzed donated placenta tissue. In a process called saponification, they chemically treated the samples to “digest” the fat and proteins into a kind of soap.

Then, they spun each sample in an ultracentrifuge, which left a small nugget of plastic at the bottom of a tube. Next, using a technique called pyrolysis, they put the plastic pellet in a metal cup and heated it to 600 degrees Celsius, then captured gas emissions as different types of plastic combusted at specific temperatures.

“The gas emission goes into a mass spectrometer and gives you a specific fingerprint,” Campen said. “It’s really cool.”

The researchers found the most prevalent polymer in placental tissue was polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles. It accounted for 54% of the total plastics. Polyvinyl chloride (better known as PVC) and nylon each represented about 10% of the total, with the remainder consisting of nine other polymers.

Marcus Garcia, PharmD, a postdoctoral fellow in Campen’s lab who performed many of the experiments, said that until now, it has been difficult to quantify how much microplastic was present in human tissue. Typically, researchers would simply count the number of particles visible under a microscope, even though some particles are too small to be seen.

With the new analytical method, he said, “We can take it to that next step to be able to adequately quantify it and say, ‘This is how many micrograms or milligrams,’ depending on the plastics that we have.”

Plastic use worldwide has grown exponentially since the early 1950s, producing a metric ton of plastic waste for every person on the planet. About a third of the plastic that has been produced is still in use, but most of the rest has been discarded or sent to landfills, where it starts to break down from exposure to ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight.

“That ends up in groundwater, and sometimes it aerosolizes and ends up in our environment,” Garcia said. “We’re not only getting it from ingestion but also through inhalation as well. It not only affects us as humans, but all off our animals — chickens, livestock — and all of our plants. We’re seeing it in everything.”

Campen points out that many plastics have a long half-life — the amount of time needed for half of a sample to degrade. “So, the half-life of some things is 300 years and the half-life of others is 50 years, but between now and 300 years some of that plastic gets degraded,” he said. “Those microplastics that we’re seeing in the environment are probably 40 or 50 years old.”

While microplastics are already present in our bodies, it is unclear what health effects they might have, if any. Traditionally, plastics have been assumed to be biologically inert, but some microplastics are nanometres in size and are capable of crossing cell membranes, he said.

Campen said the growing concentration of microplastics in human tissue might explain puzzling increases in some types of health problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer in people under 50, as well as declining sperm counts.

The concentration of microplastics in placentas is particularly troubling, he said, because the tissue has only been growing for eight months (it starts to form about a month into a pregnancy). “Other organs of your body are accumulating over much longer periods of time.”

Campen and his colleagues are planning further research to answer some of these questions, but in the meantime he is deeply concerned by the growing production of plastics worldwide.

“It’s only getting worse, and the trajectory is it will double every 10 to 15 years,” he said. “So, even if we were to stop it today, in 2050 there will be three times as much plastic in the background as there is now. And we’re not going to stop it today.”

Source: University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Categories : Environmental Effects Neurodegenerative DiseasesTags :

Nanoplastics Promote Conditions for the Development of Parkinson’s

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Tiny fragments of plastic known as nanoplastics interact with a particular protein that is naturally found in the brain, creating changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and some types of dementia, according to a Duke University-led study.

In Science Advances, the researchers report that the findings create a foundation for a new area of investigation, fuelled by the timely impact of environmental factors on human biology.

“Parkinson’s disease has been called the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world,” said principal investigator, Andrew West, PhD, professor at Duke University School of Medicine.

“Numerous lines of data suggest environmental factors might play a prominent role in Parkinson’s disease, but such factors have for the most part not been identified.”

Improperly disposed plastics have been shown to break into very small pieces and accumulate in water and food supplies, and were found in the blood of most adults in a recent study.

“Our study suggests that the emergence of micro and nanoplastics in the environment might represent a new toxin challenge with respect to Parkinson’s disease risk and progression,” West said.

“This is especially concerning given the predicted increase in concentrations of these contaminants in our water and food supplies.”

West and colleagues in Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and the Department of Chemistry at Trinity College of Arts and Sciences found that nanoparticles of the plastic polystyrene — typically found in single use items such as disposable drinking cups and cutlery — attract the accumulation of the protein known as alpha-synuclein.

West said the study’s most surprising findings are the tight bonds formed between the plastic and the protein within the area of the neuron where these accumulations are congregating, the lysosome.

Researchers said the plastic-protein accumulations happened across three different models performed in the study – in test tubes, cultured neurons, and mouse models of Parkinson’s disease.

West said that questions remain about how such interactions might be happening within humans and whether the type of plastic might play a role.

“While microplastic and nanoplastic contaminants are being closely evaluated for their potential impact in cancer and autoimmune diseases, the striking nature of the interactions we could observe in our models suggest a need for evaluating increasing nanoplastic contaminants on Parkinson’s disease and dementia risk and progression,” West said.

“The technology needed to monitor nanoplastics is still at the earliest possible stages and not ready yet to answer all the questions we have,” he said.

Source: Duke University Medical Center

Categories : Environmental EffectsTags :

Microplastics are a Danger to our Health. Here’s How to Reduce Our Exposure to Them

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By Neil Thomas Stacey for GroundUp

About ten billion tonnes of plastic have been produced to date, of which around six billion tonnes have been discarded as waste. This is a severe threat to the environment, particularly oceans and lakes.

When plastics break down into particles smaller than five millimetres we call them microplastics. They are especially worrying.

Microplastics are an emerging threat to human health. They have been detected in organs in the human body and circulating in our bloodstreams. Studies have shown microplastics may deform red blood cells, inhibiting their ability to transport and transfer oxygen.

A study on mice exposed to microplastics found them in every tissue examined, and showed behavioural changes and heightened inflammation. While the exact effects on human health are not yet known, the risk is high enough that we should be very cautious about allowing them to pervade our atmosphere and food supply.

Microplastics have even been detected in high amounts in clouds, where they may affect rainfall patterns. They can also enter our food supply through rainfall.

A recent study of sediments in the Vaal river found an alarmingly high abundance of microplastics, which may enter the local food supply through crop irrigation. The sampling in this study was done in the region of the Vaal River Barrage, which is downstream of the Vaal Dam and fed by rivers that pass through heavily populated areas including Johannesburg.

Sampling at the Barrage gives direct insight into the rates at which we are producing microplastics in major population centres. And sampling at the Vaal Dam, which is the major drinking water supply for Gauteng, provides insight into the extent to which our drinking water is affected. Both these sampling points are needed as we track the levels of microplastics. Those levels are likely to rise dramatically; the microplastics we are seeing currently are only the tip of the iceberg, as there is a lag between the production of plastic, and it breaking down into microplastics.

Microplastic proliferation is not tied directly to accumulation of waste plastic. Examination of microplastics to ascertain their source is not an exact science, but it is reported that the main sources of microplastic pollution, at least for now, are car tyres and textiles and the pollution arises, not at the end-of-life when these are discarded as waste, but during their day-to-day use.

In other words, even if we solve the problem of waste plastic, we would still face the problem of microplastics that are emitted during the normal lifespan of products made of plastic.

There are, fortunately, some concrete steps that people can take to reduce personal exposure to microplastics. While microplastics are clearly able to travel throughout the atmosphere, their levels are concentrated around the sources releasing them. Microplastic concentrations are higher in indoor than outdoor air; old-fashioned fresh air and good ventilation are beneficial. So too is regularly wiping down surfaces, as they accumulate microplastic dust. Household air filters may also reduce microplastic concentrations.

Perhaps the most useful thing we as individuals can do is to have a different relationship with clothing. Synthetic fabrics are a prolific source of microplastics. These are released in our immediate surroundings, making our exposure to them disproportionately high.

Most microplastic release from textiles occurs within the first few washes after purchase, so purchasing long-lasting clothing rather than frequently replacing items of clothing can reduce your exposure, as can choosing natural fabrics such as cotton, where possible.

The other major source of microplastics is car tyres, which shed microplastics constantly as they wear down.

There are also activities which may seem environmentally-friendly but probably exacerbate microplastics pollution.

It is increasingly common to convert waste plastic into useable products from shoes and clothing to integration of waste plastic into road surfaces.

At first glance, this appears to be an environmental win-win. But recycled products tend to be more susceptible to the abrasion that causes microplastic release. Moreover, waste and recycled plastics tend to wear out more quickly and require replacement more frequently.

This is perhaps most harmful in the case of clothing made of waste or recycled plastic; the release of microplastics in early washes will be more severe because of the weaker polymer. This is particularly worth highlighting because recent research has shown that tumble-drying of synthetic textiles results in prolific microplastic release, much of which may be discharged into the indoor environment and breathed in or otherwise consumed.

Currently we have no practical way to remove microplastics from the environment; the particles are simply too small and widely dispersed. This means that we must exercise extreme caution to minimise emissions and our personal exposure to them.

Republished from GroundUp under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Source: GroundUp

Categories : Environmental Effects NeurologyTags :

Microplastics Rapidly Bioaccumulate Everywhere in the Body

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The prevalence of microplastics in the environment is well known, along with their harm to marine organisms, but few studies have examined the potential health impacts on mammals. Now, a new study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences has found that in mice, the infiltration of microplastics was as widespread in the body as it is in the environment, leading to behavioural changes, especially in older test subjects.

Study leader University of Rhode Island Professor Jaime Ross and her team focused on neurobehavioural effects and inflammatory response to exposure to microplastics, as well as the accumulation of microplastics in tissues, including the brain.

“Current research suggests that these microplastics are transported throughout the environment and can accumulate in human tissues; however, research on the health effects of microplastics, especially in mammals, is still very limited,” said Ross, an assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences at the Ryan Institute for Neuroscience and the College of Pharmacy. “This has led our group to explore the biological and cognitive consequences of exposure to microplastics.”

Behavioural changes detected

Ross’ team exposed young and old mice to varying levels of microplastics in drinking water over the course of three weeks. They found that microplastic exposure induces both behavioural changes and alterations in immune markers in liver and brain tissues. The study mice began to exhibit behaviours akin to dementia in humans. The results were even more profound in older animals.

“To us, this was striking. These were not high doses of microplastics, but in only a short period of time, we saw these changes,” Ross said. “Nobody really understands the life cycle of these microplastics in the body, so part of what we want to address is the question of what happens as you get older. Are you more susceptible to systemic inflammation from these microplastics as you age? Can your body get rid of them as easily? Do your cells respond differently to these toxins?”

To understand the physiological systems that may be contributing to these changes in behaviour, Ross’ team investigated how widespread the microplastic exposure was in the body, dissecting several major tissues including the brain, liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, heart, spleen and lungs. The researchers found that the particles had begun to bioaccumulate in every organ, including the brain, as well as in bodily waste.

“Given that in this study the microplastics were delivered orally via drinking water, detection in tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, which is a major part of the digestive system, or in the liver and kidneys was always probable,” Ross said. “The detection of microplastics in tissues such as the heart and lungs, however, suggests that the microplastics are going beyond the digestive system and likely undergoing systemic circulation. The brain blood barrier is supposed to be very difficult to permeate. It is a protective mechanism against viruses and bacteria, yet these particles were able to get in there. It was actually deep in the brain tissue.”

Possible mechanism

That brain infiltration also may cause a decrease in glial fibrillary acidic protein (called “GFAP”), a protein that supports many cell processes in the brain, results have shown. “A decrease in GFAP has been associated with early stages of some neurodegenerative diseases, including mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as depression,” Ross said. “We were very surprised to see that the microplastics could induce altered GFAP signalling.”

She intends to investigate this finding further in future work. “We want to understand how plastics may change the ability for the brain to maintain its homeostasis or how exposure may lead to neurological disorders and diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.

Source: University of Rhode Island

Categories : Environmental Effects Surgeries & ProceduresTags :

Surgeons Find Microplastics in Heart Tissue During Surgery

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Microplastics seem ubiquitous in today’s environment, being found everywhere from rivers to inside the stomach. Now, in a pilot study of patients who underwent heart surgery, researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology report that they have found microplastics in many heart tissues. They also report evidence suggesting that microplastics were unexpectedly introduced during the procedures.

Microplastics are plastic fragments less than 5mm wide, or about the size of a pencil eraser. Research has shown that they can enter the human body through the mouth, nose and other body cavities with connections to the outside world. Yet many organs and tissues are fully enclosed inside a person’s body, and scientists lack information on their potential exposure to, and effects from, microplastics. So, Kun Hua, Xiubin Yang and colleagues wanted to investigate whether these particles have entered people’s cardiovascular systems through indirect and direct exposures.

In a pilot experiment, the researchers collected heart tissue samples from 15 people during cardiac surgeries, as well as pre- and post-operation blood specimens from half of the participants. Then the team analysed the samples with laser direct infrared imaging and identified 20 to 500 micrometre-wide particles made from eight types of plastic, including polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride and poly(methyl methacrylate). This technique detected tens to thousands of individual microplastic pieces in most tissue samples, though the amounts and materials varied between participants. The blood samples also all contained plastic particles, but after surgery their average size decreased, and the particles came from a wider range of plastics.

Although the study had a small number of participants, the researchers say they have provided preliminary evidence that various microplastics can accumulate and persist in the heart and its innermost tissues. They add that the findings show how invasive medical procedures are an overlooked route of microplastics exposure, providing direct access to the bloodstream and internal tissues. More studies are needed to fully understand the effects of microplastics on a person’s cardiovascular system and their prognosis after heart surgery, the researchers conclude.

Source: American Chemical Society

Categories : Environmental Effects PaediatricsTags :

Microwaving Plastic Baby Food Container Releases Billions of Plastic Nanoparticles

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Experiments have shown that microwaving plastic baby food containers available on the shelves of US stores can release huge numbers of micrometre or smaller-sized plastic particles – in some cases, more than 2 billion nanoplastics and 4 million microplastics for every square centimetre of container.

Though the health effects of consuming micro- and nanoplastics remain unclear, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers further found that three-quarters of cultured embryonic kidney cells had died after two days of being introduced to those same particles. A 2022 report from the World Health Organization recommended limiting exposure to such particles.

“It is really important to know how many micro- and nanoplastics we are taking in,” said Kazi Albab Hussain, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “When we eat specific foods, we are generally informed or have an idea about their caloric content, sugar levels, other nutrients. I believe it’s equally important that we are aware of the number of plastic particles present in our food.

“Just as we understand the impact of calories and nutrients on our health, knowing the extent of plastic particle ingestion is crucial in understanding the potential harm they may cause. Many studies, including ours, are demonstrating that the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics is highly linked to the level of exposure.”

The team embarked on its study in 2021, the same year that Hussain became a father. While prior research had investigated the release of plastic particles from baby bottles, the team realised that no studies had examined the sorts of plastic containers and pouches that Hussain found himself shopping for, and that millions of other parents regularly do, too.

Hussain and his colleagues decided to conduct experiments with two baby food containers made from polypropylene and a reusable pouch made of polyethylene, both FDA-approved plastics. In one experiment, the researchers filled the containers with either deionised water or 3% acetic acid (the latter intended to simulate dairy products, fruits, vegetables and other relatively acidic consumables) then heated them at full power for three minutes in a 1000-watt microwave. Afterward, they analysed the liquids for evidence of micro- and nanoplastics: the micro- being particles at least a micrometre in diameter, the nano- any particles smaller.

The actual number of each particle released by the microwaving depended on multiple factors, including the plastic container and the liquid within it. But based on a model that factored in particle release, body weight, and per-capita ingestion of various food and drink, the team estimated that infants drinking products with microwaved water and toddlers consuming microwaved dairy products are taking in the greatest relative concentrations of plastic. Experiments designed to simulate the refrigeration and room-temperature storage of food or drink over a six-month span also suggested that both could lead to the release of micro- and nanoplastics.

“For my baby, I was unable to completely avoid the use of plastic,” Hussain said. “But I was able to avoid those (scenarios) which were causing more of the release of micro- and nanoplastics. People also deserve to know those, and they should choose wisely.”

With the help of Svetlana Romanova from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the team then cultured and exposed embryonic kidney cells to the actual plastic particles released from the containers – a first, as far as Hussain can tell. Rather than introduce just the number of particles released by one container, the researchers instead exposed the cells to particle concentrations that infants and toddlers might accumulate over days or from multiple sources.

After two days, just 23% of kidney cells exposed to the highest concentrations had managed to survive – a much higher mortality rate than that observed in earlier studies of micro- and nanoplastic toxicity. The team suspects that kidney cells might be more susceptible to the particles than are other cell types examined in prior research. But those earlier studies also tended to examine the effects of larger polypropylene particles, some of them potentially too large to penetrate cells. If so, the Hussain-led study could prove especially sobering: Regardless of its experimental conditions, the Husker team found that polypropylene containers and polyethylene pouches generally release about 1000 times more nanoplastics than microplastics.

The question of cell infiltration is just one among many that will require answers, Hussain said, before determining the true risks of consuming micro- and nanoplastics. But to the extent that they do pose a health threat – and that plastics remain a go-to for baby food storage – parents would have a vested interest in seeing that the companies manufacturing plastic containers seek out viable alternatives, he said.

“We need to find the polymers which release fewer (particles),” Hussain said. “Probably, researchers will be able to develop plastics that do not release any micro- or nanoplastics – or, if they do, the release would be negligible.

“I am hopeful that a day will come when these products display labels that read ‘microplastics-free’ or ‘nanoplastics-free.'”

Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Categories : Environmental Effects Medical IndustryTags :

Can Fungi Transform Plastic Waste into Drug Components?

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Research on fungi has helped transform tough-to-recycle plastic waste from the Pacific Ocean into key components for making pharmaceuticals, using a genetically altered version of an everyday soil fungus, Aspergillus nidulans. The researchers described their chemical-biological approach in Angewandte Chemie, a journal of the German Chemical Society.

“What we’ve done in this paper is to first digest polyethylenes using oxygen and some metal catalysts – things that are not particularly harmful or expensive – and this breaks the plastics into diacids,” said co-author Berl Oakley, professor at the University of Kansas.

Next, long chains of carbon atoms resulting from the decomposed plastics were fed to genetically modified Aspergillus fungi. The fungi, as designed, metabolised them into an array of pharmacologically active compounds, including commercially viable yields of asperbenzaldehyde, citreoviridin and mutilin.

Unlike previous approaches, Oakley said the fungi digested the plastic products quickly, like “fast food.”

“The thing that’s different about this approach is it’s two things – it’s chemical, and it’s fungal,” he said. “But it’s also relatively fast. With a lot of these attempts, the fungus can digest the material, but it takes months because the plastics are so hard to break down. But this breaks the plastics down fast. Within a week you can have the final product.”

The KU researcher added the new approach was “bizarrely” efficient.

“Of the mass of diacids that goes into the culture, 42% comes back as the final compound,” he said. “If our technique was a car, it would be doing 200 miles per hour, getting 60 miles per gallon, and would run on reclaimed cooking oil.”

Previously, Oakley has worked with corresponding author Clay Wang of the University of Southern California to produce about a hundred secondary metabolites of fungi for a variety of purposes.

“It turns out that fungi make a lot of chemical compounds, and they are useful to the fungus in that they inhibit the growth of other organisms – penicillin is the canonical example,” Oakley said. “These compounds aren’t required for the growth of the organism, but they help either protect it from, or compete with, other organisms.”

Oakley’s lab at KU has honed gene-targeting procedures to change the expression of genes in Aspergillus nidulans and other fungi, producing new compounds.

The researchers focused on developing secondary metabolites to digest polyethylene plastics because those plastics are so hard to recycle. For this project, they harvested polyethylenes from the Pacific Ocean that had collected in Catalina Harbor on Santa Catalina Island, California.

“There’ve been a lot of attempts to recycle plastic, and some of it is recycled,” Oakley said. “A lot of it is basically melted and spun into fabric and goes into various other plastic things. Polyethylenes are not recycled so much, even though they’re a major plastic.”

The KU investigator said the long-term goal of the research is to develop procedures to break down all plastics into products that can be used as food by fungi, eliminating the need to sort them during recycling.

“I think everybody knows that plastics are a problem,” Oakley said. “They’re accumulating in our environment. There’s a big area in the North Pacific where they tend to accumulate. But also you see plastic bags blowing around – they’re in the rivers and stuck in the trees. The squirrels around my house have even learned to line their nest with plastic bags. One thing that’s needed is to somehow get rid of the plastic economically, and if one can make something useful from it at a reasonable price, then that makes it more economically viable.”

Source: University of Kansas