Microplastics Generate Reactive Oxygen Species in Water, Study Finds
Recent findings indicate the presence of microplastics in the human brain, lungs, and bloodstream, which are associated with cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and reproductive problems. A study published in Nature on October 14 reveals that these microplastics generate reactive oxygen species when they come into contact with water due to their hydrophobic characteristics. Lisa Patel from Stanford Medicine emphasizes that this implies these plastic particles can be chemically active. The research analyzed different types of plastics, showing that their degradation into microplastics increases their surface area, thereby heightening chemical activity. Co-author Wei Min from Columbia University describes microplastics as "a permanent little factory" for reactive oxygen species, highlighting immediate biological impacts, including cellular and protein damage, and raising alarms about potential long-term health risks.
Key facts
- Microplastics have been found in the human brain, lungs, and blood.
- Past studies have linked microplastics to cardiovascular disease, dementia, and reproductive problems.
- A study published in Nature on October 14 found that microplastics generate reactive oxygen species when they interact with water.
- The research examined polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate.
- When plastics degrade into microplastics, their surface-to-volume ratio increases; a credit card broken into ten-micron bits would have over 200 times more surface area.
- Hydroxyl radicals were produced when microplastics were mixed with mouse blood, though less than in water.
- Surfactants reduce the generation of hydroxyl radicals, and certain bodily lipids have this property.
- The exact size and mechanism of the effect remain unclear, and it may depend on how the body eliminates microplastics.
Entities
Artists
- Lisa Patel
- Wei Min
- Matthew Campen
- Martin Wagner
- Sara Hashemi
Institutions
- Stanford Medicine Children's Health
- Columbia University
- University of New Mexico
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Nature
- Everyday Health
- Scientific American
- NBC News
- New Scientist
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- New York City
- United States