科学家首次在血液中发现微塑料

诸平

Microplastics had already been spotted in oceans, air and food—now researchers have found it in human blood.

据物理学家组织网（phys.org）2022年3月25日报道，科学家首次在血液中发现微塑料（Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time）.

科学家首次在人类血液中发现了微塑料，并警告称，这种无处不在的颗粒也可能进入器官。

从最深的海洋到最高的山脉，以及空气、土壤和食物链( food chain)，这些几乎看不见的微小塑料碎片已经在地球上的几乎所有地方被发现。

2022年3月24日发表在《国际环境》(Environment International)杂志上的一项荷兰(Dutch)研究检查了22名匿名健康志愿者的血液样本( blood samples)，发现其中近80%含有微塑料。详见Heather A. Leslie, MartinJ. M. van Velzen, Sicco H. Brandsma, Dick Vethaak, Juan J. Garcia-Vallejo, Marja H.Lamoree. Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environment International, Available online 24 March 2022, 107199. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199

一半的血液样本显示出PET塑料的痕迹，PET塑料广泛用于制造饮料瓶，而超过三分之一的血液样本含有聚苯乙烯(polystyrene)，聚苯乙烯用于制造一次性食品容器和许多其他产品。

荷兰阿姆斯特丹自由大学(Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)的生态毒理学家迪克·韦萨克(Dick Vethaak)说，“这是我们第一次真正能够检测和量化”人类血液(human blood)中的这种微塑料。

“这证明我们体内有塑料，我们不应该有，”他告诉法新社，并呼吁进一步研究它如何影响健康。

“它在人体内的去了何处?能被消除吗? 能被排泄吗?还是它被保留在某些器官，也有可能积累，它甚至能够通过血脑屏障（blood-brain barrier）吗？”

该研究称，微塑料可能通过多种途径进入人体:通过空气、水或食物，但也可能通过特定的牙膏（toothpastes）、唇彩（lip glosses）和纹身墨水（tattoo ink）等产品进入人体。

该研究补充说:“塑料颗粒可能会通过血液输送到器官，这在科学上是合理的。”

迪克·韦萨克还说，在血液中可能有他的研究未发现其他种类的微塑料，例如，它不能检测到比用来采集样本的针头直径更大的颗粒。

这项研究由荷兰卫生研究与发展组织（Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development）和英国的“公海”（Common Seas）组织资助，该组织旨在减少塑料污染（plastic pollution）。

英国国家海洋学中心(National Oceanography Center)的人为污染物科学家爱丽丝·霍顿(Alice Horton)表示，这项研究“明确”证明了血液中存在微塑料。

她告诉科学媒体中心（Science Media Center）说:“这项研究提供了证据，证明塑料颗粒不仅遍布环境，而且也遍布我们的身体。”

英国朴茨茅斯大学（University of Portsmouth）生物地球化学和环境污染（environmental pollution）的读者费伊·科塞罗（Fay Couceiro）说，尽管样本量小（small sample size），缺乏参与者暴露水平的数据，她认为这项研究是“强有力的，经得起仔细审查”。

她还呼吁进一步研究。

“毕竟血液连接着我们身体的所有器官，如果塑料存在，它可能存在于我们身体的任何地方。

上述介绍，仅供参考。欲了解更多信息，敬请注意浏览原文或者相关报道。

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Highlights

• A method was validated for polymer mass concentrations in human whole blood.

• Polymers from plastics were detected and quantified in human blood.

• Polymers in human blood represent several high production volume plastics.

• Blood donors were from general public.

• Quality control of background plastic throughout sampling and analysis is key.

Abstract

Plastic particles are ubiquitous pollutants in the living environment and food chain but no study to date has reported on the internal exposure of plastic particles in human blood. This study’s goal was to develop a robust and sensitive sampling and analytical method with pyrolysis double shot - gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and apply it to measure plastic particles ≥700 nm in human whole blood from 22 healthy volunteers. Four high production volume polymers applied in plastic were identified and quantified for the first time in blood. Polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene and polymers of styrene (a sum parameter of polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, acetonitrile butadiene styrene etc.) were the most widely encountered, followed by poly(methyl methylacrylate). Polypropylene was analysed but values were under the limits of quantification. In this study of a small set of donors, the mean of the sum quantifiable concentration of plastic particles in blood was 1.6 μg/ml, showing a first measurement of the mass concentration of the polymeric component of plastic in human blood. This pioneering human biomonitoring study demonstrated that plastic particles are bioavailable for uptake into the human bloodstream. An understanding of the exposure of these substances in humans and the associated hazard of such exposure is needed to determine whether or not plastic particle exposure is a public health risk.

Graphical abstract

Schematic to accompany the paper (optional graphical abstract).