Microplastics, those small plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, are everywhere, and many works have found their mark in unusual places. Since the water we drink and the food we eat also contain microplastics, it is not surprising that scientists have also detected them in the feces of animals and people.
Now, in a small pilot study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters , a team of scientists reveals the results of a new analysis that has compared the amounts of different types of microplastics in babies and adults. Health effects, if any, are unknown, as very little is known about the extent of human exposure to microplastics or their health effects.
Although it has been suggested that microplastics pass harmlessly through the gastrointestinal tract and are eliminated without further ado, new studies suggest that the smaller pieces could pass through cell membranes and enter the bloodstream. In addition, it has been seen that in in vitro cultures and laboratory animals, exposure to microplastics can cause cell death, inflammation, and metabolic disorders.
In this work, a team of researchers from the New York University School of Medicine quantified human exposure to two common microplastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC), by measuring levels in feces of infants and children. Adults.
More PET-type plastic in babies
The researchers used mass spectrometry to determine the concentrations of PET and PC microplastics in six infant and ten adult stool samples collected in New York State, as well as three meconium samples (the first stool of a newborn ). All samples contained at least one type of microplastic. Although the average levels of faecal PC microplastics were similar between adults and infants, infant faeces contained, on average, PET concentrations more than 10 times higher than those of adults.
According to the authors, babies could be exposed to higher levels of microplastics through the extensive use of products such as bottles, teethers and toys. However, they note that larger studies are needed to corroborate these findings.
Source: American Chemical Society
