Surrounded by microplastics: The tiny pollution we drink, eat and breathe

Although this type of plastic pollution usually enters the human body in very small concentrations, it is precisely its tiny size that is alarming scientists

JUL 05, 2024 - 05:19UPDATED Jul 07, 2024 - 00:05 EDT

They are not visible to the naked eye, but in a glass of water there can be a large number of plastic particles. Water is one of the ways micro and nanoplastics enter our bodies.

Although particles between 1 micron and 5 millimeters are both called microplastics, the size difference is comparable to that of an ant and a blue whale.

If the image is enlarged to the scale of a few millimeters, objects the size of a pinhead can be measured, but the plastics in the water are still imperceptible.

In water analyses carried out by the scientific network Enviroplanet in Spain, most of the microplastics measured were between 10 and 100 microns, the latter being a little bigger than the diameter of a strand of hair.

But there are much smaller ones: researchers at IDAEA-CSIC have detected nanoplastics of up to 0.7 microns in drinking water. Our blood cells measure about 8 microns.

Tap water in homes may contain microplastics of many sizes and origins.

They can come from socks washed in a washing machine, a bag dropped in the sea, an exfoliating cream.... The faucet itself also plays a role, as there are houses with worn rubber rings or gaskets that release microparticles.

In water from a plastic bottle, the particles detected are different. These microplastics are less varied and usually come from the container itself and the cap.

Plastic is a material invented by humans that has gone from not existing at all to spreading uncontrollably across the planet. Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected in the oceans, in the air, in rain, in our food, in the water we drink and even in our cells. However, if there are still questions about this form of pollution and its effects, this is largely due to the great complexity of carrying out research on such a small scale, with such tiny contaminants.

The water we drink is an example of this challenge. What contains more microplastics: tap water or water from a plastic bottle?

Microplastics

content

(nanograms /liter)

In tap

water

In plastic

bottle

According to

Enviroplanet

1,600

According to

IDAEA-CSIC

514

359

Plastics:

Polyester

Polyethylene

Polyester

Polypropylene

(Fragments not to scale)

Polyamide

Microplastics

content

(nanograms /liter)

In plastic

bottle

In tap

water

According to

Enviroplanet

1,600

According to

IDAEA-CSIC

359

514

Plastics:

Polyester

Polyethylene

Polyester

Polypropylene

(Fragments not to scale)

Polyamide

Microplastics

content

(nanograms /liter)

In plastic bottle

In tap water

According to Enviroplanet

1,600

According to IDAEA-CSIC

359

514

Plastics:

Polyethylene

Polyester

Polyethylene

Polypropylene

Polyamide

(Fragments not to scale)

In plastic bottle

In tap water

Microplastics

content

(nanograms /liter)

According to Enviroplanet

1,600

According to IDAEA-CSIC

359

514

Plastics:

Polyethylene

Polyester

Polyethylene

Polypropylene

Polyamide

(Fragments not to scale)

A study published by the Enviroplanet research network found 89 times more microplastics (nanograms per liter) in bottled water than in tap water in Spanish cities. However, another investigation carried out this year by the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), found the opposite: more microplastics in tap water than in bottled water.

This disparity in results is largely due to the different methods used to detect micro- and nanoplastics that cover different sizes, since there is no approved technique that is followed by all researchers.

Very fine filters installed in

taps in several Spanish cities

Filter

The filter is

incorporated

into the faucet

using an adapter

Bathroom

faucet

150 liters of water are allowed

to flow through the

stainless steel filter

Water

25 µm

mesh

Filter

Microplastics larger

than 25 microns

are trapped.

Microplastics less than

25 microns do pass

through the mesh, but

they are so small that

they are not decisive

in the total mass

In the laboratory, microplastics

are hand-sorted using

tweezers and a microscope

In tap water, there are

also grains of sand and

other very small particles

The particle count is converted

to mass (nanograms) taking into

account their geometry

Very fine filters installed in

taps in several Spanish cities

Filter

The filter is

incorporated

into the faucet

using an adapter

Bathroom

faucet

150 liters of water are allowed to

flow through the stainless steel filter

Water

25 µm

mesh

Filter

Microplastics larger

than 25 microns

are trapped.

Microplastics less than

25 microns do pass

through the mesh, but

they are so small that

they are not decisive

in the total mass

In the laboratory, microplastics are

hand-sorted using tweezers

and a microscope

In tap water, there

are also grains of sand

and other very

small particles

The particle count is converted to

mass (nanograms) taking into

account their geometry

Very fine filters installed

in taps in several Spanish cities

Filter

The filter is

incorporated

into the faucet

using an adapter

Bathroom

faucet

150 liters of water are

allowed to flow through

the stainless steel filter

Water

25 µm

mesh

Filter

Microplastics

larger than 25 microns

are trapped.

Microplastics less

than 25 microns do

pass through the mesh,

but they are so small

that they are not

decisive in the

total mass

In the laboratory, microplastics

are hand-sorted using

tweezers and a microscope

In tap water, there

are also grains of sand

and other very

small particles

The particle count is converted to

mass (nanograms) taking into

account their geometry

Very fine filters installed

in taps in several Spanish cities

Bathroom

faucet

Filter

The filter is incorporated

into the faucet using an adapter

150 liters of water are

allowed to flow through

the stainless steel filter

Water

Filter

25 µm mesh

Microplastics

larger than 25 microns

are trapped.

Microplastics less

than 25 microns do

pass through the mesh,

but they are so small

that they are not decisive

in the total mass

In the laboratory, microplastics

are hand-sorted using tweezers

and a microscope

In tap water, there

are also grains of sand

and other very

small particles

The particle count is converted to mass

(nanograms) taking into account their geometry

This is one of the most widely used methods, but there are other systems where researchers do not have to count tiny particles under the microscope. In the IDAEA-CSIC research, the scientists separated the micro- and nanoplastics with ultrafiltration equipment, dissolved them in toluene and passed the solution through a mass spectrometer. This way they found what types of polymers were in the water and in what amount.

A new technique developed by researchers at Columbia University to detect increasingly smaller plastic fragments found on average about 100,000 particles (most of them nano) in a liter of water from a plastic bottle, an amount much higher than previous estimates.

Regardless of the technique used, it is clear that we are drinking plastic. Although the number of microparticles is very high, the mass concentration of what we ingest is usually quite low. As Enviroplanet scientist Roberto Rosal explains, even taking the highest measurement of 1,600 nanograms per liter from these two recent investigations in Spain, to ingest one gram of plastic a person would need to drink 625,000 liters of this water. And if the recommendation to drink three liters of water a day is followed, it would take a person more than 570 years to achieve this.

But care needs to be taken. This may seem like an insignificant amount, but here, again, the problem is just how small the microplastic is. As Marinella Farré, a researcher at the IDAEA-CSIC, points out, “the smaller it is, the more it scares me.” “If it is too big, I will swallow it, and it will probably be in the intestine for a while, but it will eventually come out. But if it is small or small enough, it can pass through the tissues and then be absorbed into the body and stay there.”

The fact that we are drinking, eating and breathing micro- and nanoplastics can affect our health in two ways: first due to presence of foreign particles in the body, and second, as a result of the effects of the chemical additives used to make these materials.

Carotid

artery

The presence of micro- and nanoplastics has been detected in atherosclerotic plaque clogging the carotid artery of patients in hospitals in Italy.

Healthy artery

Normal

blood

flow

Artery

wall

Narrowed

artery

Restricted

blood flow

Plaque where fat, cholesterol and other substances build up.

These plastic fragments are foreign bodies that can cause inflammation in the artery wall.

Carotid

artery

The presence of micro- and nanoplastics has been detected in atherosclerotic plaque clogging the carotid artery of patients in hospitals in Italy.

Healthy artery

Blood

flow

Normal

blood

flow

Artery

wall

Narrowed artery

Restricted

blood flow

Plaque where fat, cholesterol and other substances build up.

These plastic fragments are foreign bodies that can cause inflammation in the artery wall.

The presence of micro- and nanoplastics has been detected in atherosclerotic plaque clogging the carotid artery of patients in hospitals in Italy.

Carotid

artery

Healthy artery

Blood

flow

Normal

blood

flow

Artery

wall

Narrowed artery

Plaque where fat, cholesterol and other substances build up.

Restricted

blood flow

These plastic fragments are foreign bodies that can cause inflammation in the artery wall.

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that patients with plastic in their carotid artery had a 4.5 times greater risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke than other patients.

Micro- and nanoplastics have been found throughout the human body: in blood, the placenta, breast milk, inside cells... Recently, new research warned that this plastic had even been found in the testicles. Although there are still many questions about how this affects health, a study on the carotid artery is one of the first to link this contamination with human diseases. More experiments are needed to confirm these conclusions, since these investigations are complicated by the risk of contamination from the tiny particles in the laboratory itself.

Apart from being foreign bodies that can affect the organism, additives that are added to polymers to give them properties such as color or greater resistance are of particular concern.

Bisphenol A is an additive used to extend the shelf life of plastics, and one of the most concerning because of its link to obesity, breast cancer and reproductive problems

Phthalates, another additive, add flexibility and malleability to plastics. They are associated with reduced fertility, damage to the hormonal and immune system, and liver damage.

Heavy metals are also used as additives. Cobalt acetate, used to give the blue color in polyethylene bottles, causes neurological damage, cardiovascular and endocrine problems, and lower fertility.

As Emma Calikanzaros, an ISGlobal researcher who works with microplastics, points out, “with this type of small particles, some figures may seem insignificant, but the problem is that we are exposed to them everywhere, every day.” What’s more, she explains that, “apart from all types of plastics and additives, we do not know the effects that the mixture of all of them has on the body, the cocktail effect of these substances.”

Microplastics everywhere

While most people talk about microplastic pollution in the oceans, we are most exposed to them in our own homes. In the last century, houses have been filled with objects and materials made with these polymers. They are everywhere: in food packaging, in electronic equipment, in synthetic textiles, in cosmetics...

KITCHEN

Inside food

and drink

Cutting food on a

plastic cutting board

Teflon

saucepan

Water

Salt

Poor waste

management

means a lot of

packaging

ends up

in the sea

Cleaning

products

Plastic bottles,

Tupperware and

food containers

BATHROOM

Towels made

of polyester

shed synthetic

fibers

Water

Toothpaste

Cleaning

wipes

Shampoo

and soap

Cosmetics such as

makeup and creams

KITCHEN

Inside food

and drink

Cutting food on a

plastic cutting board

Salt

Teflon

saucepan

Water

Cleaning

products

Poor waste

management

means a lot of

packaging

ends up

in the sea

Plastic bottles,

Tupperware and

food containers

BATHROOM

Towels made

of polyester

shed synthetic

fibers

Water

Cleaning

wipes

Toothpaste

Shampoo

and soap

Cosmetics such as

makeup and creams

Cutting food

on a plastic

cutting board

Inside

food and

drink

KITCHEN

Water

Teflon

saucepan

Salt

Cleaning

products

Poor waste management

means a lot of packaging

ends up in the sea

Plastic bottles,

Tupperware and

food containers

BATHROOM

Towels made of polyester

shed synthetic fibers

Water

Cleaning

wipes

Toothpaste

Shampoo

and soap

Cosmetics such as

makeup and creams

KITCHEN

Inside food

and drink

Cutting food on a

plastic cutting board

Water

Teflon

saucepan

Salt

Cleaning

products

Poor waste management

means a lot of packaging

ends up in the sea

Plastic bottles,

Tupperware and

food containers

Towels made of polyester

shed synthetic fibers

Water

BATHROOM

Cleaning

wipes

Toothpaste

Shampoo

and soap

Cosmetics such as

makeup and creams

Washing clothes is one of the main sources of microplastics, since washing machines release a large amount of microfilaments down the drain. But the wear and tear of the textile itself also releases fragments into homes. According to Nicolás Olea, a professor of Radiology and Physical Medicine at the University of Granada, house dust contains mainly plastic microfilaments from textiles, especially polyester and, to a lesser extent, polyamide (nylon). “Nowadays the majority of textiles are also plastic, if we talk about food packaging, I explain that clothing is human packaging, because we are stuffed in plastic,” says Olea.

Polyamide sports T-shirt

fiber

Sports clothing do not

shed as many fibers

due to the type of weave

400 microns

Polyester softshell fabric

fiber

400 microns

Polyester anti-ball fleece

fiber

400 microns

Polyamide sports T-shirt

fiber

Sports clothing do not

shed as many fibers

due to the type of weave

400 microns

Polyester softshell fabric

fiber

400 microns

Polyester anti-ball fleece

fiber

400 microns

Polyamide

sports T-shirt

Polyester

softshell fabric

Polyester

anti-ball fleece

fiber

400 microns

Sports clothing do not

shed as many fibers due

to the type of weave

Polyamide sports T-shirt

Polyester softshell fabric

Polyester anti-ball fleece

fiber

Sports clothing do

not shed as many

fibers due to the

type of weave

400 microns

In addition to textiles, electronic equipment and cosmetics, Professor Olea also points to the odorants used in homes and consumer products that now contain plastic, such as tea bags. He also warns about an item that became widely used during the Covid-19 pandemic: face masks. “One of the most striking buildups of plastic in the body is in the lung tissue and polypropylene, a material linked to masks, is found in large quantities,” he says. “This is a mess, isn’t it?”

Tea bag

A tea bag can release billions of microplastics when immersed in hot water, according to a recent study.

Cutting

board

Cortar encima de una tabla de plástico puede generar pequeños fragmentos que acaben en los alimentos.

Socks

When placed in the washing machine, clothes made with synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon or acrylic release thousands of fibers that end up in the sea.

Opening a bag of snacks, either with scissors or by hand, also produces microplastics.

Makeup

Microplastics have been found in 9 out of 10 cosmetics, according to a study of more than 7,000 products.

Tea bag

A tea bag can release billions of microplastics when immersed in hot water, according to a recent study.

Cutting

board

Cutting on a plastic board can generate small fragments that end up in the food.

Socks

When placed in the washing machine, clothes made with synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon or acrylic release thousands of fibers that end up in the sea.

Opening a bag of snacks, either with scissors or by hand, also produces microplastics.

Makeup

Microplastics have been found in 9 out of 10 cosmetics, according to a study of more than 7,000 products.

Tea bag

Cutting

board

A tea bag can release billions of microplastics when immersed in hot water, according to a recent study.

Cutting on a plastic board can generate small fragments that end up in the food.

Socks

Maquillaje

When placed in the washing machine, clothes made with synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon or acrylic release thousands of fibers that end up in the sea.

Microplastics have been found in 9 out of 10 cosmetics, according to a study of more than 7,000 products.

Opening a bag of snacks, either with scissors or by hand, also produces microplastics.

Tea bag

Cutting

board

Cutting on a plastic board can generate small fragments that end up in the food.

Socks

A tea bag can release billions of microplastics when immersed in hot water, according to a recent study.

When placed in the washing machine, clothes made with synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon or acrylic release thousands of fibers that end up in the sea.

Makeup

Opening a bag of snacks, either with scissors or by hand, also produces microplastics.

Microplastics have been found in 9 out of 10 cosmetics, according to a study of more than 7,000 products.

Although it is difficult to find scientific data on this type of pollution in homes — due to its magnitude and the size of the particles —, Enviroplanet researchers have studied microplastics spread across a country. In Spain, they observed how wastewater from homes and industries continues to come out of treatment plants with a large amount of plastic microparticles, which end up in rivers or agricultural fields (through sludge). Using airplanes, the researchers also found concentrations equivalent to a trillion microplastics in the sky over Madrid, at an altitude of between 1,500 and 2,000 meters.

Rain,

snow, air

Evaporation

Atmosphere

Microplastics

in city air

Treatment

City

Crops

Sea

Industry

Plastic waste,

industrial

cleaning

Sea

currents

Microplastics ingested

and transported by

marine species

Rain,

snow, air

Evaporation

Atmosphere

Microplastics

in city air

Sewage

treatment

City

Crops

Sea

Industry

Plastic waste,

industrial

cleaning

Sea currents

Microplastics ingested

and transported by

marine species

Rain,

snow, air

Atmosphere

Evaporation

Microplastics

from tires and

asphalt paint

Microplastics

in city air

Fertilizers from

the wastewater

treatment plant

Roads

Crops

Sewage

treatment

City

Industry

Sea

Plastic waste,

industrial

cleaning

Microplastics

that the

treatment

plant does

not filter

Microplastics

ingested and

transported by

marine species

Sea currents

Rain,

snow, air

Atmosphere

Evaporation

Microplastics

from tires and

asphalt paint

Microplastics

in city air

Fertilizers from

the wastewater

treatment plant

Crops

Roads

Sewage

treatment

City

Industry

Sea

Plastic waste,

industrial

cleaning

Microplastics that

the treatment

plant does not filter

Microplastics ingested

and transported by

marine species

Sea currents

In this way, transported by the water of rivers and oceans, as well as by wind, atmospheric currents and raindrops, plastic microparticles have been spreading all over the planet. “Plastic is a material without which we cannot live in our industrial society, it is a very useful material that we need,” says Rosal, of the scientific platform Enviroplanet. “We must manage this material so that the waste does not continue to be scattered without control,” he adds, warning that with this kind of pollution, “it is easy to fall into alarmism.”

Pellets

0,3%

Cosmetics

Paint

Urban dust

24%

Synthetic fabric

35%

Tires

28%

Marine nets

3,7%

Pellets

0,3%

Cosmetics

Paint

Urban dust

24%

Synthetic fabric

35%

Tires

28%

Marine nets

3,7%

Pellets

0,3%

Cosmetics

Paint

Urban dust

24%

Synthetic fabric

35%

Tires

28%

Marine nets

3,7%

The plastic tide that washed up on Spain’s northwestern coast of Galicia in January — after thousands of plastic pellets were dumped in the sea — highlighted the magnitude of this pollution. It made visible a problem that tends to go unnoticed, as the pollution is made up of tiny particles invisible to the human eye. But the pellets that reach our oceans are just a miniscule part of the problem.

International negotiations on the first global treaty against plastic pollution are currently underway. The goal is to have a text ready by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, plastic production continues to run rampant across the world, while scientific research is stepping up its efforts to learn more about the impact of micro- and nanoplastics.