In 2018, Austrian scientists found microplastics in human feces for the first time. Since then, these tiny plastic particles have also been found in blood, lungs, liver, heart, brain, placenta and even in breast milk. According to recent studies, the amount of microplastics entering our bodies is growing at an alarming rate and scientific findings linked microplastics to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as dementia.
However, definitive evidence of these effects is still limited, mainly because of the enormous variety in microplastics and the difficult detection of these tiny particles. Until now, most methods require a lot of work, are expensive and often not accurate enough. Fortunately, researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have developed a laser-based method to determine the composition of microplastics without damaging their host tissue. It allows the researchers to better assess the biological effect of the microplastics, as well as allowing the tissue samples to be reused in future research.
With this technique, larger, more reliable and badly needed studies can finally begin. For example, 800 mother-child pairs in Belgium and Spain are now being followed to examine the impact of microplastics during pregnancy and early childhood. In the Netherlands, studies are initiated to determine whether habits such as vacuuming more often can reduce the amount of microplastics in our bodies.
