In a new study, an alarming claim has been made about microplastics being present in the lungs, hearts, and brains of newborns.
In a new study carried out by researchers from Rutgers University, it was observed that after newborn mice were exposed to polyamide-12, or PA-12 through inhalation. After this tiny plastic pieces were found inside their lungs, hearts, livers, kidneys, and brains.
In the research, it was seen that microplastics can pass through the placenta during pregnancy and can even expose the developing fetus.
Scientists did not rule out the possibility of fragments passing through the mother’s milk after the child’s birth, however, the presence of microplastics at such an early stage of life was alarming.
“Nobody wants plastic in their liver,” said Phoebe Stapleton, who is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University. “Now that we know it’s there – as well as in other organs – the next step is to understand why and what that means,” she added.
How MNP exposure at the infant stage will impact lives?
Microplastic pollutants have already been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, however, researchers are now worried about the long-term implications of this MNP exposure.
As per the report, exposure to pollutants and chemicals at an early stage of life will increase the risk of health problems and chronic illnesses.
“These results raise concerns for the toxicological impacts associated with MNPs exposure, maternal-fetal health, and systemic MNPs particle deposition,” wrote the researchers, in their published paper.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of plastics altogether. They’re too important for modern life,” said Stapleton.
“But I do think we might get to a point where we’ll have some policies to indicate which ones are less toxic than others,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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