Scientists from Leiden University are warning that so-called microplastics may pose a particular danger to pregnant women and their unborn children.
The university team has discovered that tiny fragments of plastic, called microplastics, can cross the blood-brain barrier, which means the brain tissue itself may come into contact with the pieces. Even smaller pieces called nanoplastics can even more easily move through barriers in the body and end up collecting in vital organs like the kidneys, heart, and liver.
To study the smallest plastics and how they affect human function, the team, led by biologist Meiru Wang, injected chicken embryos with microplastics that had been dyed with a substance that fluoresces, making the fragments visible. That’s how they were able to gauge how much plastic ended up in various organs and cells. Combined with an earlier study, Wang said, they’re confident that micro and nanoplastics cause heart problems in chicken embryos. The part of the heart they damage is called the neural crest, whose development they believe the plastics interfere with.
Referring to earlier work in a press release, Wang said scientists found that a high concentrations of nanoplastics can cause defects in the eyes, the nervous system, and the hearts of chicken embryos. The team wants to see more research about how these microscopically small bits of polymer spread throughout an organism’s whole body.
Wang said the fragments have already been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
And so far, microplastics seem impossible to avoid. The entire world is full of plastic, and more is manufactured every day. It’s the dishes we eat from, the packages that contain our food, cleaning products, and more. In 1950, total plastic production was 2.3 million tons, but by 2015, that had risen to 448 million tons made every year.
Plastic is so popular because it can be molded into almost any shape and is useful in a variety of applications. But the downside is that most types of plastic take centuries or longer to degrade into smaller ingredients; the stuff hangs around in landfills and contaminates groundwater.
Wang warns that micro and nanoplastics are especially dangerous for pregnant women and their children, and cautions against administering “nanomedicines” to pregnant women.
