Microplastics, or plastic particles measuring 5 millimeters or less, have infiltrated almost every nook of the planet. They have also entered the human body, driving scientists to investigate how microplastics impact human health.
A new study published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety has found that microplastics from a common type of polyester plastic can cause or exacerbate the progression of a chronic lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibr…
Microplastics, or plastic particles measuring 5 millimeters or less, have infiltrated almost every nook of the planet. They have also entered the human body, driving scientists to investigate how microplastics impact human health.
A new study published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety has found that microplastics from a common type of polyester plastic can cause or exacerbate the progression of a chronic lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
What’s happening?
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a strong, stiff plastic fiber that is used to make single-use plastic bottles and packaging as well as some clothing and carpeting. This plastic type is indicated on plastic packaging by the number “1,” representing one of the more widely accepted plastics for recycling.
Though many of our foods and beverages are packaged in PET plastic, there are concerns that the chemicals that leach from this material when heated or stored for prolonged periods could cause adverse health effects.
The study took this notion one step further and explored whether the microplastics that PET breaks down into influence the occurrence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The study found that PET microplastics may contribute to chronic lung diseases like IPF by inducing “oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and inflammatory responses in pulmonary cells,” which all damage the lungs, the study authors wrote, per an American Journal of Managed Care report.
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The authors also noted that PET microplastics under 10 micrometers, or 0.01 millimeters, can penetrate the alveolar barrier and accumulate in lung tissues, leading to fibrosis-like conditions.
The study authors encourage further research on this topic, recognizing that “establishing long-term exposure databases and conducting multiregional cohort studies will be key to assessing population-level health impacts,” per the American Journal of Managed Care.
Why are microplastics concerning?
Microplastics are hard to control and manage because of their small size and their tendency to remain in the environment — whether that’s in the soil, water, or air.
Homeowners who’ve laid down landscaping fabric only to return to tiny pieces of plastic fabric strewn across their gardens years later understand intimately the headache that microplastics pose when trying to keep a healthy, growing garden.
Not only are microplastics persistent, but they also adversely impact human and wildlife health, increasing the risk of plastic chemical exposure, triggering inflammatory responses, and disrupting growth and reproductive processes.
What’s being done about microplastics?
While microplastics are entering the human body at alarming rates, some may also be excreted through sweat, urine, or feces.
One tech entrepreneur, Bryan Johnson, known for his interest in biohacking — the experimentation of one’s biology to maximize health, wellness, and performance — shared an unconventional method he used to reduce the amount of microplastics in his body. Johnson said his daily use of a dry heat sauna for 20 minutes while simultaneously using a form of cold therapy on his nether region (to avoid the negative effects of heat on sperm health) helped reduce microplastic concentration in his bodily fluids and his blood by 140 and 60 particles per milliliter, respectively.
Sweating may help excrete microplastics from the body, but innovative companies are working hard to develop more preemptive solutions that prevent microplastics from entering the body in the first place.
Cleaner Seas Group is preventing microplastics from laundry gray water used to wash clothes made from plastic from entering bodies of water. The startup’s laundry tech filters out microplastics from laundry water before they move through water treatment systems.
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