Microplastics have been detected in every human placenta tested in a study, raising concerns among scientists regarding potential health impacts on developing foetuses, according to Theguardian. Researchers analysed 62 placental tissue samples and discovered that polyethylene—commonly used in plastic bottles and bags—was the most prevalent plastic detected.
Microplastics Discovered in Every Tested Human Placenta
The research, published in the UNM journal, was led by Professor Matthew Campen at the University of New Mexico in the United States, in partnership with colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine and Oklahoma State University. To conduct the analysis, the team utilized a chemical process called saponification to digest fats and proteins in the donated tissue samples into a soap-like substance, before using chemicals, a centrifuge, and heating to identify characteristic chemical signatures.
Concentrations in the placenta samples ranged from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue. Polyethylene accounted for 54 percent of the total plastics, while polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and nylon each represented about 10 percent, with nine other polymers making up the remainder.
Campen noted that the concentration of microplastics in placentas is particularly troubling because the tissue grows for only about eight months, having started to form roughly a month into pregnancy, whereas other organs accumulate particles over much longer periods. If we are seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this planet could be impacted. That’s not good,
Campen said.
Artery Samples Reveal Widespread Plastic Contamination
In a related study, researchers examined 17 human arterial samples collected during surgical procedures and found microplastics present in every single sample. According to findings published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials by a team led by researchers from Capital Medical University in China, the particles were discovered in three different types of arterial tissue: coronary, carotid, and aortic arteries.
The study reported that arteries containing dangerous fatty plaques—specifically the coronary and carotid samples—contained approximately twice the level of microplastics compared to the aortic artery samples without plaques. The researchers noted that this offers potential evidence linking microplastics to cardiovascular disease, though they emphasized that the observation should be approached with caution and tested in further research, as differences in the type of artery might also affect microplastic levels.
A separate 2024 study published in Sciencealert followed 257 patients for 34 months and found that nearly 60 percent of them had measurable amounts of polyethylene in their arterial plaques, showing an association between higher levels of microplastics and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Broader Health Implications and Environmental Concerns
Microplastics have also been recently discovered in human blood and breast milk. While plastics have traditionally been assumed to be biologically inert, laboratory tests have shown that microplastics can cause damage to human cells. Particles can lodge in tissue and cause inflammation in a manner similar to air pollution particles, or chemicals contained within the plastics could cause harm.
Campen stated that the growing concentration of microplastics in human tissue could potentially explain puzzling increases in certain health problems, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colon cancer in individuals under 50, and declining sperm counts. He also highlighted that global plastic production has grown exponentially since the early 1950s, producing a metric ton of plastic waste for every person on the planet.
It’s only getting worse, and the trajectory is it will double every 10 to 15 years,
Campen warned, adding that background plastic levels are projected to triple by 2050.
Keep reading