Microplastics found in blood for the first time, study says

[superadmin]

(March 25): Microplastics were detected in human blood for the first time, according to a study that may indicate the potential for particles to travel to organs.

Scientists found 17 out of the 22 healthy people they took samples from had quantifiable amounts of plastic particles in their blood. Researchers said further study is needed to determine the health risks of the materials.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment and can be found in marine animals to drinking water, though the World Health Organisation has said there’s insufficient information to draw firm conclusions about how toxic they are for people and more research is needed. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year and at least 14 million tons end up in the ocean where they can be ingested by animals and risk entering the human food supply chain, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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