Sean Mowbray in Discover:
Over the last few years, numerous studies, including those in Nature Communications and Environmental International, have found nanoplastics and microplastics throughout the human body, including the blood, bones, and brain. Unsurprisingly, these findings sparked serious concern about the possible impact on human health. But as these papers began making headlines, some researchers questioned the findings and the approach. One scientist told The Guardian these concerns amount to a “bombshell.” Stephanie Wright, an associate professor at Imperial College London, discussed in The Guardian how we don’t have a strong grasp of the accuracy of these microplastic studies. It’s possible that they are overestimating the amount of plastic in our bodies.
There are many reasons to be doubtful about papers that have found plastics in the human body, according to experts such as Leon Barron, professor of Analytical & Environmental Sciences at Imperial College London. He points to a Nature Medicine study that found microplastics in the human brain. That particular paper suggested that the brain had higher concentrations of microplastics than other parts of the body, such as the kidneys or liver. “Given the size of particles that they were reporting in that paper, it didn’t seem believable that it would get into the brain,” Barron told Discover. Another reason is that picking out tiny plastic fragments that may or may not be present in the human body is tricky. Plastics can give off similar signals to naturally occurring fatty tissues, said Barron. There is also the ever-present issue of sample contamination during testing.
More here.
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