Placenta Study Reveals Troubling Pervasiveness of Microplastics

Scientists have issued a warning after finding significant levels of microplastics in human placentas.

Microplastics refer to any plastics that are less than 5 millimeters long, and they are all around us. They can be found in our food, our water, our air and even in our organs. These plastics contain a concerning cocktail of chemicals that have been shown to interrupt the body's natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins like heavy metals on their surface.

According to previous estimates, the average person consumes about a credit card's worth of these microplastics every single week, so its no wonder that they have been found inside our bodies. At low levels, the adult human is unlikely to notice these pollutants. But a growing fetus is.

"Fetuses are vulnerable to environmental stressors," Matthew Campen, a pharmaceutical sciences professor at the University of New Mexico, told Newsweek. "Small influences during development can cause all sorts of problems with viability of the fetus or developmental issues in newborns."

In a new study, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, researchers from the University of New Mexico analyzed 62 samples of placenta and found that 100 percent contained some degree of microplastics, ranging from 6.5 micrograms to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.

A microgram is a millionth of a gram, so those numbers might sound small. But the concern here is the steady rise in the number of these particles that is being seen.

"Observing the plastics is not a surprise, but in about 25 percent of the samples the concentrations were very high," Campen said. "On the one hand this suggests that there may be dietary factors that influence our plastics exposure and uptake, and as we learn that we can make recommendations to limit microplastics.

"But we [also] know that microplastics will continue to increase in the environment [...] If the dose keeps going up, we start to worry. If we're seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this plant could be impacted. That's not good."

The most prevalent type of plastic in the placental tissue, accounting for 54 percent of the total, was polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles.

More work is needed to understand how these plastics can affect the developing fetus, but Campen said that the growing concentrations of microplastics in human tissues could be behind the puzzling increases in various health problems—including inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer—that have been seen in recent years.

"We have to emphasize that we are not sure if the current levels of microplastics are dangerous," Campen said. "Women who are currently or planning to become pregnant should not make dramatic changes in lifestyle and diet based on these findings."

There may be some things that we can do to minimize our exposure to these particles.

"We think that fats in the diet have a small influence on plastics uptake," Campen said. "Eating a healthy diet is encouraged. Eliminating or reducing plastics use is always encouraged, but it will only have a small effect of reducing the plastics, as much is already in the water and foods we eat."

But wider systemic change will also be necessary.

"Ultimately this is a global problem and we need government-level action to help curb the rising levels of microplastics," Campen said. "Plastics manufacturers have been able to shed responsibility onto consumers, but individuals have very little influence on recycling efficiency. Much more needs to be done to address this problem from our federal and local governments—shaming people for single-use plastics products or for not recycling properly is far from an effective policy."

Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about microplastics? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.