Microplastics found in the human bloodstream

A research squad directed by ecotoxicologist Heather Leslie and analytical chemist Marja Lamoree have evolved the first to reveal that plastic particles from our living environment end up in the human bloodstream.

The outcomes of the research project, called Immunoplast, were published today in the scientific journal Environment International. The study displays that miniscule pieces of plastic from our residence environment are absorbed into the human bloodstream.

Blood filtered for five polymers.

The investigation team consists of researchers from VU Amsterdam, Deltares, and Amsterdam UMC, VUmc location. They created an analytic method for specifying the trace level of micro and nano plastic particles in human blood. 

The process has involved the blood of 22 anonymous donors. The blood was analyzed for the existence of five different polymers, the building blocks of plastic. The degree to which the individual polymers were present in the blood was also specified.

Three-quarters of the test issues seemed to have plastics in their blood. The study was the first to confirm that plastic particles can end up in the human bloodstream. Early indicators for this came from laboratory investigations. The current analysis shows that people absorb microplastics from their environment in their everyday lives and that the quantities are measurable in their blood.

PET detected most

The widespread concentration of plastic particles in the blood of the 22 donors amounted to an average of 1.6 µg/ml, which is comparable to a teaspoon of plastic in 1,000 liters of water (ten oversized bathtubs). 

A quarter of the tested donors had no observable quantities of plastic particles in their blood. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and Styrene(PS) were the most typical types of plastic found in the blood samples, followed by poly(methylmethacrylate). Polypropylene was also analyzed, but the concentrations were too low for an accurate measurement.

The following query is how easy these particles are to move from the bloodstream into tissues such as organs like the brain. Heather Leslie, working at VU during the research, explains: “We have now confirmed that our bloodstream, our water of life as it were, has plastic in it.” Marja Lamoree adds: “This data is the first of its kind and must be extended to understand how overall plastic pollution is in humans’ bodies and how dangerous that may be. With this insight, we can determine whether exposure to plastic particles poses a threat to public health.”

Health risks

This research was financed by the international NGO Common Seas and the ZonMw program Microplastics & Health. With this program, ZonMw intends to gain more insight into the potential health effects of plastic particulates and what can be done to limit harmful effects on health. The 15 short-term projects of this program have now been completed. 

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It has demonstrated that knowledge is still lacking and that further research is required to determine the health risks. In the Netherlands, this follow-up research is being conducted by the MOMENTUM consortium, in which VU Amsterdam is a partner. Research projects that study exposure to and the harmful effects of microplastics are underway in a European context.