Researchers Find Micro And Nanoplastics in Human Tissues

We all are disturbed by the over-use of plastics, seeing little chunks of them lying around on the street instead of inside the bins. It is an indisputable fact that plastic usage contaminates our world and we are really behind on taking action against it. 

What's worse now is that plastic is actually a part of us, it's literally in our bodies!

Researchers have declared that they have observed microplastic  and nanoplastic presence in human tissue and organs.

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Plastic on its way to our bodies

Charlie Rolsky, Teaching Assistant at the Arizona State University in School of Life Sciences and Director of Science for Plastic Oceans International North America branch, presented the results at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo, which will take place between 17 to 20 August. 

"There's evidence that plastic is making its way into our bodies, but very few studies have looked for it there. And at this point, we don't know whether this plastic is just a nuisance or whether it represents a human health hazard," said Rolsky during the presentation, as reported by Phys.org.

As a gruesome fact, it is known that nanoplastics and microplastics cause a wide array of health issues in animals such as infertility, inflammation, and cancer. Now it is time to check on humans, researchers thought.

Quite small components

Microplastics take up as small spaces as 0.2 inches (5 mm) but appearantly they have a big impact when they accrue in nature. Nanoplastics appear even smaller, less than 0.00003 inches (0.001 mm).

Researchers reportedly worked with Diego Mastroeni, he provided brain and body tissue samples. 47 samples in total were observed, taken out from the lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. 

"This shared resource will help build a plastic exposure database so that we can compare exposures in organs and groups of people over time and geographic space," Rolf Halden said.

Further research is still necessary to confirm the findings of the current seemingly-disastrous findings, as no link between the human diseases and nano and microplastics have been identified yet. Still, it isn't the kind of material a healthy person would want in their body.