In a pilot study, researchers from Austria have for the first time, micro-plastic in stool samples of humans. With regard to the effects on the human organism, to fall the researchers are still in the Dark.
The plastic particles were found in the samples from all eight study participants, such as the Medical University of Vienna and the Austrian Federal environment Agency said on Tuesday. Plastic particles with a size of less than five millimeters are referred to as micro-plastic. This is used as an additive in cosmetic products, but especially unintentionally by crushing, abrasion or decomposition of larger plastic parts in the environment.
The subjects between the ages of 33 and 65 years, living on different continents and not know that led a week-long food diary and then went on to make the sample. All participants took part in this time in plastic-packaged food or drinks from PET bottles. The majority of them also ate fish or seafood, no one ate exclusively vegetarian.
PP and PE demonstrated the most
In our laboratory, we were able to detect nine different types of plastic in the size of 50 to 500 microns, said Bettina Liebmann, an expert on micro-plastic analysis in the Federal environment Agency. Especially the variety of plastics have surprised you. Most often polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were found in the samples.
According to love’s lot is not been prior to the study, on the issue of micro-plastic in the people. Therefore, we have initially focused on a study with few subjects. A specific connection between the diet and a load of micro-plastic were not able to produce the scientists, due to the small group of test Subjects. The results of the study will be presented on Tuesday at a Congress in Vienna. According to Liebmann, then, the scientific publication will follow.
Treatment of inflammatory reactions
The effects of the detected micro-plastic particles on the human organism, especially the digestive tract – can be in the context of a larger-scale study explored, Philipp Schwabl from the Clinical Department of gastroenterology and Hepatology at the MedUni Vienna.
In other studies, the highest microplastic concentrations were detected in animals in the gastrointestinal tract, however, even the smallest plastic particles in the blood, lymph, and even in the liver detectable. Although there is first evidence that micro-plastics monitoring can be used to harm the treatment of inflammatory reactions or absorption of damaging the gastro-intestinal tract, in any case, further studies are necessary to potential hazards of micro-plastic estimate for the people, Schwabl.
330,000 tons of micro-plastic per day set free
Micro-plastic comes through the car tire abrasion, the crushing of building rubble and cosmetics in the environment, in many cases, especially in waters. A study commissioned by chemical companies, cosmetics manufacturers, Water companies, Waste disposal companies, and universities has determined that approximately 330,000 tons of this primary micro-set plastic per year in Germany. Secondary Microplastic is formed by the weathering and disintegration of large plastic parts.
The Knowledge about the origin, dissemination and consequences of plastic in the environment is still very patchy. Therefore, the German Ministry of education and research has launched a major programme: 18 projects with around 100 partners from science, industry, associations and local authorities are to be used to draw an overall picture of how plastics are produced, traded and disposed of.