All of the blood samples also contained plastic particles, but after surgery their average size decreased, and the particles came from more diverse types of plastics.
The following is a press release from ACS Chemistry for Life:
âDetection of Various Microplastics in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgeryâ
Environmental Science & Technology
Everywhere scientists look for microplastics, theyâve found them â food, water, air and some parts of the human body. But examinations of our innermost organs that arenât directly exposed to the environment are still limited. Now, in a pilot study of people who underwent heart surgery, researchers in ACSâ Environmental Science & Technology report that they have found microplastics in many heart tissues. They also report evidence suggesting that microplastics were unexpectedly introduced during the procedures.
Microplastics are plastic fragments less than 5 millimeters wide, or about the size of a pencil eraser. Research has shown that they can enter the human body through mouths, noses and other body cavities with connections to the outside world. Yet many organs and tissues are fully enclosed inside a personâs body, and scientists lack information on their potential exposure to, and effects from, microplastics.
So, Kun Hua, Xiubin Yang and colleagues wanted to investigate whether these particles have entered peopleâs cardiovascular systems through indirect and direct exposures…
