A research team from Lublin under the scientific supervision of Prof. Jolanta Flieger conducted groundbreaking studies on the distribution of micro- and nanoplastics (MP, NP) in the human body, utilising advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques at the SOLARIS. Post-mortem tissue samples were analysed, revealing uneven translocation of MP and a particular affinity of the thyroid gland for their accumulation (40.4 MP/g). The findings suggest a potential link between the presence of MP in the thyroid and the increasing incidence of endocrine disorders and head and neck cancers.
The problem of environmental pollution with microplastics (MP) is growing. Currently, it is difficult to avoid contact with products made of polymeric materials [1]. The latest studies confirm the possibility of MP entering the human body through the digestive tract, respiratory tract or skin and translocation to various organs [2]. MP toxicity is associated with the release of hazardous substances into the body based on the “Trojan horse effect” and with the small size of MP [3]. To date, studies on the health effects of MP accumulation are conducted in vitro on cell lines or in vivo on animal models, which do not reflect the conditions of chronic accumulation to which humans are exposed [4]. In turn, population studies on humans examine MP accumulation in selected organs [5]. Less attention is paid to the accumulation of nanoplastics (NP) and natural polymers. The study of MP in tissues also encounters many methodological problems. References: In the study on several tissues collected post mortem from one patient, a new trend of research on the distribution of MPs in the body was initiated in order to identify organs that preferentially accumulate foreign particles. The tissues were digested and filtered. Both the material collected on the filter and the filtrates were examined to find particles of micro- and nano-size (<20 nm). Techniques dedicated to the identification of polymers were used; MALDI-TOF MS, optical microscopy, SEM-EDS and the rarely used O-PTIR microscope technology. O-PTIR infrared measurements with sub-micron spatial resolution confirmed the presence of micro- and nanoparticles and were used to identify the polymers.
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Image: Experiments underway on the CIRI beamline at SOLARIS
Credit: SOLARIS