Microplastics in Our Blood!

Scientists at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, for the first time, found microplastics in 80% of investigated human blood samples (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time). The study involved 22 healthy, adult, anonymous donors. A range of different microplastics were identified in the samples. More than half the donors had PET microplastics in their blood. PET is the plastic used mainly in drinks bottles. It has recently been revealed that recycling drinks bottles, makes them more likely to leach material into their contents. The Vrije Universiteit study is relatively tiny but it raises concerns. It should certainly be replicated using people of differing ages and from different backgrounds. The actual effects of microplastics in the blood are, as yet, unknown. Clearly, however, they also must be urgently investigated.