- Can you remove microplastics from blood?
- How harmful are microplastics to humans?
- What are the 2 main causes of microplastics?
- Can microplastics break the blood-brain barrier?
Can you remove microplastics from blood?
To get the microplastics out of blood, more needs to be done to remove them permanently from water. A new line of inquiry focuses on using non-toxic chemicals (think plants) to pull microplastics out of the waterways.
How harmful are microplastics to humans?
Microplastics can enter the human body through ingestion and inhalation where they may be taken up in various organs and might affect health, for example, by damaging cells or inducing inflammatory and immune reactions.
What are the 2 main causes of microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics.
Can microplastics break the blood-brain barrier?
One study has found that microplastics can latch onto the outer membranes of red blood cells and limit their ability to transport oxygen. In 2022, scientists also discovered that microplastics could breach the blood-brain barrier in mice and negatively impact the microglial cells in the brain.