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26.03.2022 / 03:43
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Microplastics found in human blood for the 1st time, study says
FILE - A study assistant, is holding a blood sample in her hand. (Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Image)Researchers have documented evidence of microplastics found in human blood for the first time, according to a recent study conducted in the Netherlands. The study, published in the journal Environment International on March 24, observed the blood of 22 healthy, non-fasting volunteers and subsequently, 17 out of the 22 people tested positive for having microplastics in their blood. Researchers found four "high production volume polymers" in test subjects’ blood which included polyethylene terephthalate, a synthetic resin which is often found in clothing fibers, containers for liquids and food and found in food in general, according to the study. In addition, polyethylene, one of the most common types of plastics primarily used in packaging for food, medical tubing and cable wires was also detected in the subject’s blood. Also present was polymers of styrene, otherwise known as polystyrene, which is made "from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum," according to Science Direct. Polystyrene is widely used in the food industry to create containers, cups, utensils, plates and bowls. Researchers found approximately 1.6 micrograms (one-millionth of a gram) of microplastics in blood samples.