Micro and nano plastics are now present in our daily lives to the point that they can be ingested or inhaled by our bodies. This is a well-known fact in the scientific community, and several literature data demonstrate the presence of micro and nano plastic particles along the entire food chain. Fragments have been found in fish, meat, fruit and vegetables (apples and carrots are the most contaminated), honey, sugar, salt and beer.
“It is estimated that we can ingest from 0,1 to 5 grams per week of invisible pieces of plastic, a content almost equal to that of a credit card”. This was declared to the Dire Agency by Dr. Daniela Gaglio, scientific director of the Metabolomics Infrastructure of the Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology (IBFM), of the National Research Council (CNR).
The team of researchers, led by Professor Danilo Porro and coordinated by Daniela Gaglio, have experimentally demonstrated that cells subjected to acute and chronic exposure to polystyrene particles show an alteration of metabolism and an increase in oxidative stress (Bonanomi et al., 2022). The CNR with its research has therefore highlighted the potential effect that these micro and nanoparticles can have on health.
"The study demonstrates - continues the expert - that the micro and nanoparticles of polystyrene absorbed by the cells of the human colon induce changes in metabolism similar to those induced by the toxic agent azoxymethane: the latter is a carcinogenic and neurotoxic molecule that has been studied extensively for its ability to induce colon cancer. What emerges from the study carried out using innovative approaches in metabolomics (the science that studies metabolism and metabolic processes in detail), is that healthy cells of the human colon, subjected to both acute and chronic exposure to polystyrene particles, show an alteration of metabolism and an increase in oxidative stress. Finally, the study highlighted that exposure to plastic induces metabolic alterations typically found in cancerous formations, indicating a potential action of micro and nano plastics as a risk factor for colon cancer. To date, this is one of the few studies that provides information on what the effect of plastic could be inside our organism".
Other recent studies of tap, bottled and spring water have shown that microparticles are present in all water sources tested (Cox et al., 2019). Tests of tap water from 159 different sources showed that 81% of samples contained microparticles smaller than 5 mm (Kosuth et al., 2018). Other studies of 259 water bottles from 11 different brands and 27 different batches showed that 93% of samples contained plastic microparticles (Mason et al., 2018). Another study found high levels of microplastics in mineral water bottled in 22 different multi-use plastic materials (compared to single-use plastic or cardboard containers), as well as in glass bottles (Schymanski et al., 2018).
“This confirms,” concludes Daniela Gaglio, “how the study by Qian et al., published in the journal PNAS, is interesting for the scientific community, also considering that particles of micro and nano plastic have been found in various organs: colon, lung, heart and placenta. As the authors correctly state, very little is known about the effect that these particles have on our organism.”
Article published on March 6, 2024 - 15pm
