Plastic pervades body samples
Print
A new study raises concerns over microplastics in drinking water.
Research from Bond University challenges a 2019 World Health Organization report that found microplastics pose a low concern for human health, after confirming their presence in kidney, urine and bladder cancer samples.
The Bond team reviewed 18 previous studies that identified microplastics and nanoplastics in 54 per cent of urine samples, 70 per cent of kidney samples, and 68 per cent of bladder cancer cases.
These findings indicate that the presence of plastic particles in the human body may be contributing to urinary tract inflammation, toxicity, and even cell damage.
The researchers also found that microplastics disrupt crucial cellular processes, including MAPK signalling, which helps cells manage stress and growth signals.
“This scoping review highlights the rapidly emerging threat of microplastic contamination within the human urinary tract, challenging the World Health Organization’s assertion that microplastics pose no risk to public health,” the study's authors wrote.
They noted that microplastics are linked to conditions such as bladder cancer, chronic kidney disease, urinary tract infections, and incontinence.
Microplastics, which have permeated almost every aspect of modern life, are tiny plastic fragments less than 5mm in size.
Since the 1950s, the mass production of plastic has resulted in an estimated 368 million tonnes of waste annually, much of which breaks down into these minuscule particles.
While environmental impacts of microplastics are well-documented, their effects on human health remain less understood, though evidence continues to mount.
PhD candidate Liam O’Callaghan, one of the researchers involved, has noted the widespread nature of microplastics.
“We’re drinking them, we’re eating them, we’re breathing them in. They can be absorbed through the skin,” he said.
O’Callaghan says that everyday actions, like heating plastic containers, can release millions of microplastics into food.
He also pointed out that even seemingly safe items like tea bags contribute to the problem, as they release billions of plastic particles when submerged in hot water.
O’Callaghan urged people to reduce their exposure by opting for glass containers and questioning the necessity of plastic packaging for items like fresh produce.
He asked; “Why are we wrapping everything in plastic in the shops? Does fresh produce really need to be wrapped in plastic, or could we just sell it all without the unnecessary packaging?”
The Bond University team plans to further investigate microplastics’ role in urinary tract diseases.
They suspect microplastics may be linked not only to cancer but also to cardiovascular issues, as previous studies have shown microplastics damaging red blood cells and entering the bloodstream.
Their study contributes to a growing body of research highlighting the harmful effects of microplastics.
A recent study by the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy, for example, found microplastics in the arteries of 60 percent of surgery patients, while research from São Paulo University discovered plastic particles in the brains of eight out of 15 deceased individuals.