Microplastics are defined as plastic particles that are smaller than five millimetres. They have created quite a stir in the scientific community owing to their prevalence almost everywhere. Some researchers even found microplastic in the bloodstream which raises a lot of concern. Recently, researchers found that microplastics ingested orally can travel from the gut to different parts of the body. These include the liver, kidneys and even the brain. Here are all the other important details that you would need to know about this study.
Microplastics Can Travel From Gut To Brain As Per New Study
According to an article which was recently published by Times Now or TN, this particular study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study was conducted on rats and its purpose was to find out the impact of microplastic consumption on them.
Dr. Marcus Garcia was the author of the study and he is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of New Mexico. In the study, the mice were exposed to a variety of microplastics through oral gastric feeding. When he studied the insides of the rats, he found microplastics.
The researchers studied tissues of the brain, the colon, the kidneys, the liver and their serum. Research revealed the presence of microplastics. In addition to this, they also found certain metabolic changes in the organs where microplastics were found.
Here Are A Few Limitations Of This New Study On Rats
Despite the alarming nature of the study, it has quite a few limitations. The first is that the study was conducted on rats. Further study needs to be done to see whether the same is true for humans and how severe is the effect of microplastics in humans.
What is more, is that the microplastics used for the study did not have additives in them which are normally found in them. The additives likely worsen the effect of microplastics.
Furthermore, as per the researchers, the analysis of microplastics was limited and there should be further study on ways to better assess the quantity of microplastic in tissues.
What do you think about this new alarming study? Let us know in the comments section below!
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