Microplastics found in the feces of all participants in a small study

TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 – There is a good chance that a dose of tiny plastic particles has settled in your gut, according to a new and small study.

Microplastics, as they are called, have been discovered in Researchers have reported stool samples taken from a handful of volunteers in Europe and Asia.

Each person on the 8 having a microplastic in the stool, averaging about 20 particles per 3.5 ounces of stool, said study author Dr. Philipp Schwabl, researcher at the Medical University of Vienna.

More than 95% of the particles came from plastics used in the packaging and storage of food products. They included polypropylene used in bottle caps, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used in beverage bottles, polystyrene in cookware and plastic cups, and polyethylene used in plastic bags and storage containers.

Schwabl stated that he found the data "astonishing".

"I think that trying to reduce the use of plastic and plastic-wrapped food could be beneficial for nature and for us," Schwabl said. "Certainly, plastic is a very useful material and has many smart applications, but we should perhaps try to rethink the need for abundant use of plastic, and look for and support environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives."

It is too early to say whether these plastic particles could be harmful, said Schwabl and other experts.

"We are seeing more and more evidence that this is the case in humans, and we need to think about the impact it will have on human health," said Dr. Kenneth Spaeth, Head of the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Northwell Health in Great Neck, NY "We know that plastics contain a range of potentially harmful substances that, in other known contexts, can to disappear and potentially affect human health. "

This new study follows a report released last week that microplastics can be found in 90% of table salt. Salt samples from 21 countries from Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia were badyzed. National Geographic reported

For the stool study, Schwabl and his team each recruited a test subject in Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria and Italy. United Kingdom, Russia and Japan. The group consisted of three women and five men aged 33 to 65 years.

Each person kept a food diary during the week before providing a stool sample. Newspapers showed that all participants had consumed food packaged in plastic or drunk plastic bottles. Six fish had consumed sea fish.

Laboratory tests revealed the presence of microplastic particles in 9 out of 10 plastic types, ranging in size from 50 to 500 microns. A hair has a diameter of about 50 microns.

Other types of plastic include polyoxymethylene (automotive parts and the food industry), polycarbonate (construction and electronics), nylon (rope, fishing nets and textiles) and polyurethane (boat varnish, construction [19659002] Microplastics are found in foods through plastic packaging, or can enter the food chain by being consumed by marine life, he said.

"In our study, most participants drank liquids contained in plastic bottles, but the ingestion of fish and seafood was also common, "noted Schwabl.

No human studies have shown what the Microplastics could affect human health, said Schwabl, but animal studies have shown that microplastic particles are able to enter the bloodstream, the lymphatic system and the body. In the gastrointestinal tract, microplastics could cause intestinal lesions or change the shape of the villi lining the intestinal wall, said Dr. Arun Swaminath, director of the department's inflammatory diseases program. Gut at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York

There are also concerns about endocrine-disrupting chemicals in these plastics, said Spaeth. Human studies have shown that these chemicals can dissolve plastic in food or in the air dust.

"Clearly, the risk of direct exposure could be greater," Spaeth said. .

The findings were presented Monday at the annual meeting of the United European Gastroenterology in Vienna. Such research is considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Schwabl and his team hope to conduct larger follow-up studies to verify their findings and further explore potential effects on human health.

For more [19659024] The Environmental Protection Agency has more on plastics and health.