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By Jordan King
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New research has come out on how people can decrease the amount of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) they drink and eat.
The article "human microplastic removal: what does the evidence tell us?" was published on Tuesday by the scientific journal platform Genomic Press.
The Context
Last month, new research came out detecting a rise in microplastics in people's brains at far higher concentrations than in other bodily organs.
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Authors of the most recent paper called the findings "worrisome," saying: "Humans are exposed to MNPs through various routes, but their impact on various organ systems is not fully understood."
What To Know
While last week's study admits that "given the widespread presence of microplastics in the environment, completely eliminating exposure is unrealistic," it argues for "a more practical approach...to reduce the most significant sources of microplastic intake."
These include not drinking bottled water, not heating food in plastic containers and avoiding tea bags, canned food and processed foods.
Drinking tap water instead of bottled water was called an "impactful intervention" and has the capacity to reduce microplastic intake from 90,000 to 4,000 particles per year
Meanwhile, "one of the most effective ways to reduce microplastic consumption" is to stop heating up food in plastic containers.
While tea bags are labeled food grade, a study found that they released a total of 16 μm of micro and nanoplastics.
The advice to avoid tinned food was based on a randomized crossover trial, which found a more than 1000 percent rise in urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels after five days of daily canned soup intake.
Processed foods such as chicken nuggets contained 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts, "highlighting the impact of industrial processing, which often uses plastics at some point," the study said.
However, it is important to note that the study also disclaims: "While reducing intake is a logical approach, it remains unclear whether this translates into a measurable reduction in microplastic accumulation within human tissues."
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What People Are Saying
Authors of the study concluded: "One of the most hopeful aspects of the findings to date is the lack of correlation between age and microplastic accumulation, suggesting that despite ongoing environmental exposures, the body has mechanisms to clear these particles over time through sweat, urine and feces.
"As methods for measuring microplastics in living humans improve, we can test the common sense hypothesis that reducing intake of microplastics (e.g., drinking tap water, avoiding plastic tea bags, using metal or glass for cooking and storage, minimizing highly processed foods stored in plastic) and enhancing elimination may reduce accumulation in humans."
What Happens Next
The study calls for more research into the topic.
"Future research should prioritize establishing clear exposure limits and assessing the long-term health consequences of microplastic intake," it says. "Large-scale human studies are needed to determine the dose-response relationship between microplastic exposure and chronic health outcomes such as endocrine disorders and cognitive disease."
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