Plastic pollution – tiny bits of plastic, smaller than a grain of sand – is everywhere, a fact of life that applies even to newborn rodents, according to a Rutgers Health study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. Researchers have long understood that micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPs), which enter the environment through oxidation and natural degradation of consumer products, are easily deposited in the human body through inhalation, absorption and diet.
Experts also understand that these pollutants can cross the placental barrier and deposit in fetal tissues. What’s been unclear is whether these particles remained in tissue long after birth. The Rutgers Health researchers found that they do, at least in rats. Their data that could have implications for human health. “Nobody wants plastic in their liver,” said Phoebe A. Stapleton, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, and the study’s senior author. “Now that we know it’s there – as well as in other organs – the next step is to understand why and what that means.” To read the full story.