text: Microplastics Found in Human Blood
  Microplastics have been identified in human blood for the
  first time, raising concerns that the omnipresent particles are also making
  their way into organs.
  The virtually undetectable plastic fragments have already
  been discovered almost everywhere on Earth, from the deep oceans to the highest
  peaks, as well as in the air, soil, and food chain.
  Microplastics were discovered in nearly 80% of blood samples
  from 22 healthy individuals, according to a Dutch study published in the
  Environment International journal on Thursday.
  PET plastic, which is frequently used in drink bottles, was
  found in half of the blood samples, while polystyrene, which is widely used in
  disposable food containers and other products, was found in more than a third.
  According to Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije
  Universiteit Amsterdam, "this is the first time we've actually been able
  to detect and quantify" microplastics in human blood.
  "This is confirmation that we have plastics in our
  bodies—and we shouldn't," he told AFP, urging for more investigation into
  the health implications.
  "What's going on within your body? Is it possible to get rid of it? Excreted? Is it retained in specific organs, maybe accumulating, or can it potentially cross the blood-brain barrier?"
  According to the study, microplastics might have entered the
  body by a variety of means, including air, water, and food, as well as kinds of toothpaste, lip glosses, and tattoo ink.
  "It is scientifically feasible that plastic particles
  may go through the bloodstream to organs," the study concluded.
  Vethaak also suggested that there could be additional types
  of microplastics in the blood that his study missed, such as particles larger than
  the diameter of the needle used to draw the sample.
  The research was supported by the Netherlands Organization
  for Health Research and Development and Common Seas, a UK-based organization
  dedicated to eliminating plastic pollution.
  The study "unequivocally" demonstrated the
  presence of microplastics in blood, according to Alice Horton, an anthropogenic
  pollutants scientist at the National Oceanography Center in the United Kingdom.
  "This study adds to the growing body of data that
  plastic particles are not only pervasive in the environment, but also in our
  bodies," she told the Science Media Center.
  Despite the limited sample size and absence of data on the participants' exposure levels, Fay Couceiro, a reader in biogeochemistry and environmental pollution at the University of Portsmouth, believes the study is "robust" and "will hold up to scrutiny."
  She also suggested that more research be conducted.
  "After all, blood connects all of our body's organs,
  and if there is plastic in us, it may be anywhere."
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