Microplastics found in human blood for the first time and could lodge in organs, say scientists

Microplastics – tiny pieces of plastic less than 0.2 of an inch (5mm) in diameter – have been found in human blood for the first time, the Daily Mail of UK reported on Friday.

Scientists in the Netherlands took blood samples from 22 anonymous healthy adult donors and analysed them for particles as small as 0.00002 of an inch.

The researchers found that 17 out of the 22 volunteers (77.2 per cent) had microplastics in their blood – a finding described as ‘extremely concerning.’

Microplastics have been found in the brain, gut, the placenta of unborn babies and the faeces of adults and infants, but never before from blood samples.

“Our study is the first indication that we have polymer particles in our blood – ​it’s a breakthrough result,” study author, Professor Dick Vethaak at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, said.

“But we have to extend the research and increase the sample sizes, the number of polymers assessed, among others.”

The study, published in the journal Environment International, tested for five types of plastic – polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Researchers found that 50 per cent of the blood samples contained polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This was the most prevalent plastic type in the samples.

PET is a clear, strong and lightweight plastic that is widely used for packaging foods and beverages, especially convenience-sized soft drinks, juices and water.

Meanwhile, just over a third (36 per cent) contained polystyrene, used in packaging and storage, while nearly a quarter (23 per cent) contained polyethylene, from which plastic carrier bags are made.

Only one person (5 per cent) had polymethyl methacrylate and no blood samples had polypropylene.

Alarmingly, the researchers found up to three different types of plastic in a single blood sample.

Differences between who had microplastics in their blood and who didn’t may have been due to plastic exposure just before the blood samples were taken.

So, for example, one volunteer who tested positive for microplastics in their blood may have recently drunk from a plastic-lined coffee cup.

The health effects of ingesting microplastics are currently unclear, although a study last year claimed they can cause cell death and allergic reactions in humans.