Information about microplastics and their effects are being discovered continuously by the scientific community up until today. Through the efforts given to conduct numerous studies about microplastics, our collective knowledge is slowly learning about what these materials are and the adverse effects they could inflict on human health.
Micro and Nanoplastic Particles
In a new study led by scholars from the Medical University of Vienna, the data presented a list of additional impacts of microplastics we are not aware of yet. These outcomes were based on examining various types of micro and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) that are found across the natural environment, and how they enter the human system.
According to the research, nearly 100,000 particles of MNP are being ingested by each person every year if they are drinking from plastic bottles.
Most MNPs have structures that can only be perceivable with specialized instruments. Although these particles are small, they come in various types.
A press release from the Medical University of Vienna explains that microplastics measure from about 0.001 to 5 millimeters, which is bigger and can be seen through the naked eye. Nanoplastics, on the other hand, are significantly smaller, measuring about 0.001 millimeters in size.
Based on the institute's report, each person who drinks the recommended daily amount of water, which averages about 50 ounces or about 1.5 liters, can be affected by the MNPs if they ingest it from plastic bottles.
If the particular routine of drinking water were followed throughout the year, 90,000 plastic particles would be consumed by an individual. With respect to their location, a person fond of drinking from tap water could evade the unwanted ingestion of MNPs by 50,000 particles or about half of what plastic bottle consumers get.
Global Plastic Consumption
Vienna's Christian Doppler Laboratory for Applied Metabolomics and Graz's Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed) expert Lukas Kenner, who was also the author of the study, said in the university's report that there are manageable implications that microplastic consummation could bring to most of the general population.
However, microplastics that end up in the guts of people already struggling with chronic conditions are most at risk.
Kenner said that a healthy gut system has more chance of repelling the adverse effects of the problem. However, the expert continued that the local changes in the gastrointestinal tract could make any individuals vulnerable to destructive MNPs.
The changes present in the system could open a window for the MNP's risks are either chronic diseases or negative stress, reports Futurism.
According to the authors, discussing the pros and cons of global plastic consumption is needed but tackles complicated sets of arguments. Many industries rely on plastic bottles as it offers a lesser risk of contamination.
Moreover, the health and medical sectors are also fond of plastic-based mediums as they give the most effective results for surgery while keeping the environment sterile and safe.
The team expects more studies about the MNPs and their association with human health. The study was published in the journal Exposure and Health, titled "To Waste or Not to Waste: Questioning Potential Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastics with a Focus on Their Ingestion and Potential Carcinogenicity."
RELATED ARTICLE : Is Butter Consumption Associated with Heart Health? Studies Explain All You Need to Know
Check out more news and information on Food in Science Times.
