Nature: Microplastics may be more dangerous to humans than previously thought

Microplastics may pose a greater danger to humans than previously believed, according to a study by chemists at Columbia University in the United States, as reported by RIA Novosti.

"Our findings challenge the existing paradigm regarding the inertness of plastic and reveal a potentially overlooked mechanism through which microplastics exert harmful effects on health and the environment," the study states, as published in the journal Nature.

The researchers discovered that microplastic molecules become chemically active upon contact with water or upon entering the bloodstream, generating reactive radicals. According to Naixin Qian, a researcher in Wei Min’s laboratory, these radicals can cause damage to human and animal tissues.

Previously, scientists had identified microplastic particles in the snows of Antarctica, while researchers in Brazil discovered such particles in the olfactory bulbs of the human brain. This suggests that the olfactory pathway serves as a route for microparticles to enter the brain. Microplastics have also been detected in other organs and in the placenta.