Melondy Phillips
Staff Writer
The discovery of microplastics within the human body has only recently been uncovered. With the ever-increasing popularity of plastic bags, bottles, containers and even toothbrushes, just how bad are microplastics for the body and can they be eliminated. Because this field of research is so new, those questions are difficult to answer. Plastic is not a natural material that the body can use for building blocks or health, which means, they don’t appear be to a positive thing. So, are they a negative presence? If the body has a difficult time expelling these foreign particles, then it might be assumed that the accumulation of microplastic could eventually lead to health concerns.
An August 2024 article at theguardian.com stated, “Twenty-four brain samples collected in early 2024 measured on average about 0.5% plastic by weight. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution. Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastics in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges posted an article in June of 2024 about a neuroscientist’s experiment with microplastics in mice. The article states, “… decided to study how contaminating the drinking water of mice with tiny fragments of plastic might affect their cognitive function, she didn’t expect the experiment to yield much. But in just three weeks, Ross and her team found microplastics had made their way into the mice’s brains, passing the robust defenses of the blood-brain barrier. The researchers performed a variety of tests and found that the microplastic-exposed mice started exhibiting signs of cognitive decline similar to dementia. ‘I didn’t really think we were going to see anything,’ Ross says. But when they examined the mice’s tissues, they were shocked. ‘Every one we looked at we found the microplastics. It was surprising, especially finding them in the brain. Things are not supposed to go there!’”
Observations of the effects of microplastics in the body have shown the following effects: hormonal metabolism imbalance, cell death, an imbalance of gut biome health, increased inflammation, negative effects on the lungs and liver, and a declined cognitive function.
An article posted on the National Institute of Health Website states, “The researchers found that, on average, a liter of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. About 90% of these plastic fragments were nanoplastics. This total was 10 to 100 times more plastic particles than seen in earlier studies, which mostly focused on larger microplastics. The water contained particles of all seven types of plastic… An abundance of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was also detected. This might be expected, since PET is used to make bottles for water, soda and many other drinks and foods. … The method identified millions of additional particles that did not match the seven categories of plastic. It’s not yet clear if these tiny particles are nanoplastics or other substances.”
Contaminated water is not limited to the commercially bottled kind but flows in our streams and other water-ways affecting everything it touches.
The Water Research Foundation (WRF) has found microplastic in fish and other marine animals. They reported that wastewater treatment plants and recovery facilities “are the largest sources of MPs (microplastics) into aquatic systems in the United States.” One study showed facilities that could filter up to 98% of the microplastics out of the water still released an estimated 65 million particles back into the receiving waters every day.
With this amount of microplastics being released into the ecosystem every day, other possible issues arising from them are being looked at. The discovery that microplastics are able to absorb and transport ambient pollutants such as PBDEs (flame retardants), PCBs (coolants), and other persistent organic pollutants is another reason for the growing concerns surrounding the massive plastic pollution happening now.
Much like human skin, plastic can shed. Everything from plastic wrapped cheese, store bought salads, and our favorite bottled water and sodas contain microplastics. But it goes much farther than that. Because of the tiny size of microplastics getting into the soil, even fruits and vegetables can absorb them up through the root system.
Food sources are only one area of study. A study of how exposure to sunlight affects contact lens revealed shocking data. Out of 6 different types of contact lens from different sources, when worn 10 hours per day, the study showed a staggering 90,000 plastic particles could shed from lens in only one year. The effects of theses microplastics being deposited directly into the eyes is yet unknown. Personal opinion: it doesn’t sound great!
Microplastics are able to enter through our mouth, skin, eyes and even the lungs.
The manufacturing of certain products and even washing those soft fleece (plastic) sweaters, can release microplastics into the air we breathe. These tiny particles can linger in the air while traveling great distances. The air borne particles can seed cloud formations, sometimes powerfully, and may have the potential to impact weather, temperature and, perhaps, even the climate. Some nanoplastics can be smaller than a virus, making it very difficult to block.
Plastic is everywhere, including containers which store the foods we eat, clothes, car parts and medical devices. Avoiding them all is nearly impossible. Projections say that around 11 billion tons of plastic will have accumulated in the environment by this year. As this plastic waste breaks down into tiny particles, they begin infiltrating our bodies, maybe even taking up permanent residence. It is yet uncertain if microplastics can be removed from the body as easily as other toxins. The first step is by reducing as much exposure to plastic as we can. Try storing food and drinks in glass, such as high-quality canning jars. Avoid eating foods or drinking liquids that have been stored or prepared in plastic, eat fresh organic local produce, and using high quality water filters and HEPA air filters, especially when in high pollutant areas.