As of: March 15, 2024, 7:06 a.m
By: Florian Neuroth
Comments
Press
Split
In water, cosmetics and in the body – microplastics are omnipresent.
One study examined the effects on the colon.
The result is cause for concern.
Rome – Practically nothing works in the modern world without plastic.
As packaging material, in the construction industry and in vehicles or as part of electrical devices – plastic is used everywhere.
However, his reputation was once better.
Plastic creates huge mountains of waste, pollutes the oceans and consumes a huge amount of CO₂ during production.
In addition, it is also problematic in miniature format.
As microplastics - these are small particles under 5 millimeters - it is found in rivers, lakes or the sea, cosmetic products, our food - and therefore also in the body.
This development has been worrying scientists for some time.
Little is known about the composition of packaging plastic or what microplastics do to the body.
A study from Italy now sheds some light on the matter.
It shows the effects of microplastics on the large intestine - the consequences are worrying.
Microplastics are almost ubiquitous and have already been detected in the body.
An Italian study now shows how harmful the small particles are for the intestines.
© dpa
Researchers from Italy demonstrate metabolic changes in the intestine due to microplastics
The results were presented on the website of the Italian broadcaster Rai.
According to the report, a team of scientists led by Dr.
Daniela Gaglio from the National Research Council (CNR) demonstrated a change in metabolism and an increase in oxidative stress in colon cells.
The cells were exposed to polystyrene particles in experiments.
Polystyrene is a plastic that is used in many different ways.
It is used as part of packaging, in toys, as an insulating material or in its most familiar form: foamed as Styrofoam.
“The study shows that micro- and nanoparticles made of polystyrene, which are absorbed by human colon cells, trigger changes in metabolism that are similar to those of the toxic agent azoxymethane,” the researcher tells Rai.
Azoxymethane is a carcinogenic and neurotoxic molecule “that has been widely studied precisely because of its ability to cause colon cancer,” explains Gaglio.
The EU has largely banned microplastics – exfoliants, toys and plasticizers are affected
The results are also cause for concern because people are now constantly ingesting microplastics into their bodies - whether through food or otherwise.
The environmental organization WWF estimates that a person worldwide consumes an average of up to five grams per week.
“Almost as much as a credit card,” says Gaglio.
The small plastic particles were detected in stool for the first time by scientists from Vienna in 2019, and in 2022 Dutch researchers found microplastics in human blood.
My news
Prestige Lake Garda project costs hundreds of millions – now no one wants to have the “steel monster” read
Italian mafia conquers Lake Garda – tourist places infiltrated by clans
Porsche stops public bus on ghost ride in Zillertal ski area – owner talks about “bad feeling” read
1 hour ago
Pizza delivery man wins 600,000 euros – and amazes his boss
Norm applies from summer 2024 - new regulation poses fatal problems for beaches all over Italy
Four-ton shark swims in the Adriatic: crazy sighting in front of a seaside resort in Italy
According to information from the Fraunhofer Institute from 2018, 330,000 tons of microplastics find their way into the environment every year in Germany alone.
Around a third of the total amount is tire wear.
This enters the sewage system via rainwater or directly into bodies of water.
The EU has therefore declared war on microplastics and decided to ban them as far as possible.
Products that contain microplastics or that release them during use will gradually no longer be allowed to be sold in the future.
This affects peelings, toys or softeners.
The ban applies to all synthetic polymer particles that are smaller than five millimeters, organically insoluble and difficult to degrade.
Study shows consequences of microplastics: metabolism changes and more oxidative stress
The EU has a reason for this approach, which is clear from the results of the study.
Rai writes that healthy human colon cells in the study reacted to acute and chronic contact with polystyrene particles.
The consequences were a changed metabolism and more oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is a metabolic situation in which there are too many free radicals.
These are reactive oxygen atoms.
They remove electrons from other atoms and arise when there is inflammation in the body or due to harmful external influences, such as cigarette smoke.
As the IMD Institute for Medical Diagnostics Berlin-Potsdam GbR writes, free radicals can be partly responsible for various diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, contribute to the acceleration of aging and also to the development of cancer.
According to the study, micro- and nanoplastics can cause colon cancer
According to the Rai report, the microplastics change the metabolism in the same way as is normally the case in cancer formations.
Micro- and nanoplastics could be a risk factor for colon cancer.
“This is one of the few studies so far that provides information about what effect plastic could have on our organism,” emphasizes scientist Gaglio.
There will certainly be more to come.
Microplastics were recently discovered in chewing gum, and a gastroenterologist warned of the dangers of plastic particles.
They could attack the mucous layer in the intestine and, in the worst case, dissolve it.
This can have bad consequences.
The expert spoke of diarrhea, flatulence, fatigue or inflammation in the intestines.
(Florian Neuroth)