Concerns about the presence of microplastics in our body are not new. These particles, which are often less than five millimeters in size, result from the degradation of plastic objects in the environment, and their possible effects on health are still poorly understood.
Italian researchers recently detected the presence of microplastics in the placenta of pregnant women, according to a study published in the journal Environment International, to be published in January.
They analyzed 6 placentas belonging to healthy women whose pregnancy and delivery went well at the Fatebenefratelli hospital in Rome. Four of them showed microplastics.
In total, the researchers found 12 particles including 5 on the fetal side, 4 on the maternal side and 3 in the amniotic membrane, inside which the future baby develops. These particles were mostly 10 microns (0.01 mm), which makes them susceptible to circulate in the blood.
Colored plastics found in the environment or cosmetics
Surprisingly, all of these microplastics were colored: blue, red, orange or pink. The researchers identified for one that it was dyed polypropylene; the rest are said to come from pigments used for artificial coatings, paints, adhesives, plasters, paints, cosmetics or body care products.
Finally, only 4% of the placentas were analyzed, which suggests that they could contain a much higher amount of plastic particles.
“It’s like having a baby cyborg: it is no longer composed only of human cells, but of a mixture of biological and inorganic entities”, explain to Guardian Antonio Ragusa, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Fatebenefratelli Hospital, who led the study.
“This is the first study to reveal the presence of pigmented microplastics and, more generally, of artificial particles in the human placenta”, observe the scientists. “Unfortunately, we don’t know how microplastics get into the bloodstream and whether they originate from the respiratory system or the gastrointestinal system.”
“A very worrying question”
“Due to the crucial role of the placenta in supporting the development of the fetus, which acts as an interface with the external environment, the presence of potentially harmful plastic particles is a matter of great concern,” the study authors point out.
They also believe that “more studies need to be done to assess whether the presence of microplastics can trigger immune responses or lead to the release of toxic contaminants, harmful to pregnancy” – not least because the sample for this study was small.
In October, a study by Trinity College Dublin appeared in the journal Nature Food showed that a 12 month old baby fed with a polypropylene bottle ingested on average more than 1.5 million microplastics per day detached from it.
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