Infants have more microplastics in their feces than adults

Date:
September 22, 2021
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Microplastics -- tiny plastic pieces less than 5 mm in size --
are everywhere, from indoor dust to food to bottled water. So it's
not surprising that scientists have detected these particles in the
feces of people and pets. Now, in a small pilot study, researchers
have discovered that infants have higher amounts of one type of
microplastic in their stool than adults. Health effects, if any,
are uncertain.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Microplastics -- tiny plastic pieces less than 5 mm in size -- are
everywhere, from indoor dust to food to bottled water. So it's not
surprising that scientists have detected these particles in the feces of
people and pets. Now, in a small pilot study, researchers reporting in
ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Lettersdiscovered that infants
have higher amounts of one type of microplastic in their stool than
adults. Health effects, if any, are uncertain.


========================================================================== Little is known about the magnitude of human exposure to microplastics
or their health effects. Although microplastics were once thought
to pass harmlessly through the gastrointestinal tract and exit the
body, recent studies suggest that the tiniest pieces can cross cell
membranes and enter the circulation. In cells and laboratory animals, microplastic exposure can cause cell death, inflammation and metabolic disorders. Kurunthachalam Kannan at the New York University School of
Medicine and colleagues wanted to assess human exposure to two common microplastics -- polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC)
-- by measuring levels in infant and adult feces.

The researchers used mass spectrometry to determine the concentrations
of PET and PC microplastics in six infant and 10 adult feces samples
collected from New York state, as well as in three samples of meconium
(a newborn infant's first stool). All samples contained at least one type
of microplastic. Although average levels of fecal PC microplastics were
similar between adults and infants, infant stool contained, on average,
more than 10 times higher PET concentrations than that of adults. Infants
could be exposed to higher levels of microplastics through their extensive
use of products such as bottles, teethers and toys, the researchers
say. However, they note that larger studies are needed to corroborate
these findings.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Chemical_Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Junjie Zhang, Lei Wang, Leonardo Trasande, Kurunthachalam Kannan.

Occurrence of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polycarbonate
Microplastics in Infant and Adult Feces. Environmental Science &
Technology Letters, 2021; DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00559 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210922090835.htm

--- up 2 weeks, 6 days, 8 hours, 25 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)