Multiple pathways have been established for exposure of humans to microplastics and nanoplastics but data on the burden of plastics in human tissues are still scarce. Studies on wildlife and animal models furthermore have established negative health effects resulting from macro-, micro-, and nanoplastic exposure, including linkages to infertility, onset of inflammation, and the development of cancer. Exposure of mice to microplastics was documented to result in an accumulation of the foreign objects in diverse tissues but similar studies on human tissues and organs are still lacking. In order to advance the human exposure assessment for plastic pollutants, we created a workflow for the processing of human tissue for subsequent analysis using µ-Raman spectrometry. The resultant method was applied to different human tissue and organ types obtained from a large sample repository of brain and body tissues established for the study of neurodegenerative diseases. Method performance was evaluated in terms of recovery rates and detection limits as a function of plastic particle dimensions and tissue types. The study is among the first to establish the environmental background of plastic exposure detectable as a organ- and tissue-specific body burden in adult humans. The methodology may find future applications in the routine analysis of human biopsy and autopsy specimens for the determination of nanoplastic and microplastic exposure.

Methods to detect microplastics and nanoplastics in human tissue

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.