Attention! You’re Consuming Microplastics Everyday, Here’s How!

10 min readJun 2, 2022

Microplastics have been Detected in Various Parts of the Human Body — A Comprehensive Study of Plastic Types and their Adverse Effects

Plastic production is expected to double by 2020 will be doubled while the amount of plastic entering the ocean will triple i.e. summing roughly up to 29 million tonnes! The total stock of plastic entering the ocean or water bodies would cumulatively amount to up to 600 million tonnes! Researchers estimate that there are hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles in each cubic meter of air in urban environments. That’s Really Huge? Isn’t it?

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from plastic accumulation are responsible for the accelerating climatic change and account for up to 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. These travel as far as about 10 km from Earth’s surface and are likely contributing to global warming as well.

Microplastics are one of the worst man-made disasters of our time. As the plastic pollution crisis is showing no signs of slowing down, let’s get better acquainted with plastic stuff and its adverse effects on the human body.

All About Microplastics

Microplastics are categorized as fragments of any type of plastic that measures less than 5 mm i.e. 0.20 inches in length. In other words, extremely small pieces of plastic debris floating around in the environment due to the breakdown of plastic products and then improperly disposed of industrial cum sewerage waste.

Know About Microplastics — Image Source: uu.nl

Petrochemicals derived from oil and gas products are used to make microplastics. Many of these are toxic to humans as they carry traces of carcinogenic or mutagenic chemicals. These chemicals can damage DNA or cause cancer in humans.

The term macroplastics is generally used to differentiate microplastics from larger plastic waste, such as plastic bottles, containers, plastic carry bags, and so on from the smaller debris or particles.

Natural weathering processes such as exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, water waves, and wind abrasion cause plastic to become brittle, fragment, and break. Breaking into fragments doesn’t stop here. Microplastics keep breaking down into pieces until they are like dust particles. These are better known as nano plastics. Particle size in the nanoscale itself means that it becomes not only difficult to measure but impossible to separate these from the environment.

Two classifications of microplastics that get widely recognized by everyone include -

Primary microplastics can be characterized as plastic fragments, fibres or particles that are often less than or equal to 5.0 mm in size before they enter our surrounding environment. These include microfibers from clothing, microbeads found in personal care products, and plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing practices. Accidental spills during manufacturing or transportation, as well as abrasion from washing processes, are also included within this category.
Secondary microplastics are formed when large plastic products break into smaller fragments when they stay in contact with changing environmental conditions for longer durations and undergo natural weathering processes. Water and soda bottles, fishing nets, plastic bags, microwave and food containers, tea bags, and tyre wear are all potential sources of secondary microplastics.

Plastic Pollution in Our Natural Ecosystem

Plastic pollutants are present in every natural habitat imaginable: forests, deserts, rivers, and soil. Microplastics with time accumulate in the air and terrestrial ecosystems. Both primary and secondary microplastics are recognized to persist in the environment at high levels, particularly in aquatic and marine ecosystems. They are the root cause of the extensive widespread pollution in water bodies.

Microplastics are non-biodegradable and pose risk to human beings in three different ways — physical, chemical, and as a host for other microorganisms that gather and breed on it.
Plastics break down bit by bit and this process consumes hundreds to thousands of years. Hence, there is a significant chance of microplastics being ingested, incorporated into, or accumulated in the bodies and tissues of many people and organisms.
In laboratory experiments, researchers found that microplastics cause damage to human cells. Air pollutants are well-known to enter the body and cause millions of premature deaths each year. Microplastics, which are found in dust and airborne fibrous particles, are also a source of air pollution. Furthermore, the surfaces of many tiny plastic fragments may harbour disease-causing organisms and act as a vector for causing various illness related ailments in the people living in the surroundings.

How Does Plastic Enter a Human Body?

Microplastics have indeed been found in all parts of the world, from bottom-feeding sea creatures to tropical rainforests as well as from mountain tops to deserts. Data collected from Analytical studies conducted throughout the world show the presence of plastic particles in various matrices of our biome be it water, sediments, wind, or foodstuffs. The tiny particles can enter the human body through a variety of routes, but the majority are likely to enter through ingestion or inhalation.

Microplastic is often defined as plastic particles ≤ 5 mm in dimension. Recent studies have revealed that microplastics can be as small as 700 nanometers in diameter. As a result, microplastic and nanoplastic particles will be referred to ambiguously as ‘plastic particles’ in this article.

Plastics have been Found in Various Parts of the Human Body

We are here to discuss whether or not plastic particles can cross membranes and diffuse into the human organs via the bloodstream. As of yet, it is also not known if microplastics can actually cross over the blood-brain barrier, get deposited in internal organs, and their adverse effects on the human body.

In March 2022, scientists discovered microplastics in the bloodstreams of nearly 80% of those tested. The researchers are concerned that these pervasive particles could be already making their way into organs.
At about the same time microplastic pollution has been identified lodged deep within the lungs of living individuals. These particles have been found in almost all of the samples studied and analyzed.
Another recent study found that microplastics in human blood can attach to the outer membranes of red blood cells. This limits these molecules’ ability to carry oxygen and transport it to different parts of the body.
In addition to the above findings, plastic particles were identified in the placentas of four healthy women who had normal pregnancies and gave birth to healthy babies. Microplastics were detected on both the fetal and maternal sides of the placenta and as well as in the membrane that the fetus develops within. The microplastics found at large measured 10 microns in size. This means they are tiny enough already to travel through the bloodstream. Scientists suspect these particles may have entered the baby’s bodies as well.
Microplastics of various polymers, shapes, and sizes have also been found in human faeces.
A study conducted in pregnant rats has shown microplastic’s ability to pass rapidly from the mother to a fetus’s lungs into its hearts, then the brain and other organs of the pregnant rats. This experiment got conducted in two parts -

(a) Rat lungs were exposed to polystyrene spheres of 20 nanometres. These nanoparticles were later found to be translocated in the placental and fetal tissue.
(b) Oral intake of microplastics in rats led to the accumulation of these in the liver, kidney, and gut.

It could be a really dangerous discovery, considering that the human placenta is permeable to tiny polystyrene particles (50, 80, and 24-nanometer beads).

What Kind of Microplastics has been Detected in Humans So Far?

This plastic that has been used since times used for food and beverage packaging is transparent, sturdy, yet lightweight. Major plastic polymers that were found in the human bloodstream and lungs are as follows -

Check out the video: Disturbing Discovery Of Microplastics Inside Our Bodies

In the Blood Samples
Researchers have examined blood samples of 22 anonymous persons. Plastic particles were found in 17 of the 22 blood samples analyzed, all of who were healthy adults. Plastic fragments smaller than 5mm have been found in the human bloodstream in results. Major plastic polymers found are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymers of styrene (used in food packaging), and polypropylene (PP). Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was present in nearly half of the microplastics found in human blood samples. This makes it the most common plastic type found in the human body of the whole lot.

Meanwhile, according to the researchers -

Polystyrene is used to make a variety of important consumer products for food packaging and storage purposes. This accounts for approximately 36% of the microscopic plastic particles discovered in human blood samples. Styrene is anticipated as a potent human carcinogen and toxicant that may pose a serious health risk to humans in near future.
This gets followed by polyethene and polymethyl methacrylate which account for approximately 5% of the total particles used to create plastic carrier bags.

In the Human Lung Tissues
The most frequent polymers recognized in human lungs were polypropylene and polyethylene followed by polymers of styrene, polyurethane, and so on.

There has been previous evidence of plastic particles in human cadaver autopsy samples. First, of their kind, the findings below affirm the presence of plastics in the human lungs.

Twelve types of microplastics were found in the lungs of living creatures, with the most common ones being used in packaging, plastic containers and bottles, clothing, ropes/twine, and many other manufacturing processes.

Lung airways narrow extremely towards their end. The unexpected findings show that out of 38 microplastics discovered, the highest number of particles were present in the lower parts of the lungs.11 microplastics were found in the upper part of the lung, 7 in the middle, and 21 in the lower part of the lungs. As the airways tend to reduce in size in the lower parts of the lungs, this revelation caught many experts by surprise. Normally particles of these sizes get filtered out or trapped before they reach this deep down into the lungs.

Adverse Effects of Microplastics on Human Health

According to research and laboratory findings, microplastics damage human cells when consumed via food.
Cell death, cell membrane destruction, and allergic reactions within an individual are the most common side effects of human exposure to recurring plastic particles.
Studies also highlight that microplastics with irregular shapes cause more cell death in human beings than the spherical ones.
Although the number of microplastics in human blood is significantly too low to have serious health impacts on a human’s body. With each passing day more and more plastics are being dumped into the surrounding environment.
Large amounts of microplastics were fed to mice or rats in laboratory trials. The results have been shown to promote inflammation in the small intestine and affect the mothers’ fertility indirectly. While potential effects of microplastics on fetuses are suspected to be reduced fetal growth and impaired immune response.

Where Do Microplastics Found in Human Beings Come from?

Microplastics are so tiny that they can cling to any surface and enter an individual via -

Textile fibres
Cigarette filter ingredients
Cleaning or personal care products
Friction between automobile tires and roads releases dust particles into the air
Airborne secondary plastic particles that get produced by oversized plastic products.

Microplastics in Foods

Apart from these, microplastics are present in almost all edibles grown by the farmers, sold in markets, and cooked in kitchens.

Microplastics were found in large quantities in peas, broccoli, potatoes, lettuce, radishes, and turnips. In comparison to all other fruits and vegetables, apples and carrots have the highest levels of microplastic elements. Microplastic pollutants are said to enter plants when they suck or pull contaminated water via their roots.

How to Avoid or Reduce the Intake of Plastics in Your Ordinary Life?

There is uncertainty existing regarding the process of how once ingested plastic particles get excreted from the human body. We need to address the true health risks that plastic stuff poses to humans and their existence. Prevention is said to be better than cure so one should follow these -

Do not wrap microwave food in plastic.
Make sure you consume food and other edibles in eco-friendly packages or bags
Use biodegradable food cutlery and bottles for consuming food and liquids.
Plastic containers that cannot be recycled should be avoided as well as discouraged.
Use sustainable renewable packaging materials and carry bags.
Eco-friendly or disposable materials should be given preference while packaging edibles.
Alteration in the method of washing is the key.
Use plastic-free cosmetics and beauty products (containing no microbeads).
Consumption of seafood should be reduced or limited as much as possible.

Conclusion

We know Microplastics have now contaminated the entire world. Massive amounts of plastic garbage get deposited in our surroundings on a regular basis. These include polyester nanoparticles used in the manufacture of objects such as food containers. As a result, we must be extremely cautious about our health and strive to eat and drink only fresh foods.

Can these microplastics be eliminated? Excreted? Or do they continue to get accumulated in various human parts and organs?

Can they pass the blood-brain barrier in humans? Are they getting passed on to the next generations and what will be the negative repercussions of this?

More needs to be investigated. We hardly have any solid shreds of evidence in this regard to how dangerous these microplastics really are or can be.

Microplastics found in Human Blood can prove to be extremely harmful if their concentration increases beyond a certain limit in living beings. We must reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose and explore other sustainable alternatives to stop more plastic from leaking into the environment.

Disclaimer

For this article, information was gathered from various resources/studies available online and offline after conducting extensive research issued in the general public interest. Consult the health advisory if you need more additional information regarding microplastics and their health impacts on humans in general.