The new generation of babies with plastics – 02/15/2023 – Fundamental Science

One of the modern inventions with the greatest impact on humanity was plastic, whose practicality and versatility gave rise to the industry manufacturing millions of tons per year. However, the increasing production of items, some of which are quickly disposable, has become a problem, given the longevity of the material in the environment. Both environmental degradation and the everyday use of plastic produce microplastics, tiny particles smaller than a millimeter, already present all over the planet: in the air, water, plants, animals and food.

In recent years, plastic micro and nanoparticles have been detected in human organs, feces and blood, but the consequences of this stock in our bodies are still not well understood. In addition to the possible toxicity of the plastic components themselves, the material that is degraded in the environment can add to other pollutants, including toxic compounds that, although banned decades ago, still persist in contaminating the planet.

Some studies suggest that smaller microplastics can enter our bodies through ingestion and even inhalation, and then travel through the blood and penetrate cells, accumulating in biological tissues. Even the placenta can be contaminated: in 2021, a group of Italian researchers found for the first time the presence of microplastics measuring from 5 to 10 micrometers in four out of six analyzed placentas. The fragments were pigmented and some were identified as polypropylene, a type of plastic widely used in packaging. The remaining particles can come from paints, cosmetics and personal care products. More recent research analyzed other samples of placentas, obtained from vaginal delivery or cesarean section, and found microplastics in all of them. The “plasticentas”, as they were called, are a clear representation of this new generation of humanity.

It is not yet known for sure which risks to fetal health pose plasticentas, but the findings are worrying, since the placenta performs the exchange of substances between the mother and the fetus and has other key roles throughout pregnancy. Experiments carried out in mice showed brain, cognitive and behavioral changes in puppies whose mothers ingested large amounts of microplastics. Another effect observed in these females is the reduction of fertility and changes in the immune system. Male mice can also suffer the consequences of a “plasticized” diet, with a reduction in testosterone levels and sperm quality parameters, in addition to damage to the cells of the reproductive system.

If the baby is already exposed to microplastics since pregnancy, after birth the exposure is even greater, since most of the objects that surround him are made of plastic. If bottle-fed, ingestion will be inevitable. And not even breast milk is safe: a study from that year found microplastics from different sources, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, in 26 out of 34 samples analyzed. The most likely hypothesis is that the mothers were contaminated by the consumption of food, drinks and personal hygiene products, and thus the microparticles passed into the milk. But the simple fact of breathing already makes us susceptible to contamination. Again, we still haven’t been able to assess whether this is actually a risk to our health, and future research should estimate the harm that exposure from birth can bring us.

Meanwhile, the pollution generated by the excessive presence of plastic in the world needs to be tackled. On an individual level, we can reduce the consumption of plastic items and packaging. At the collective level, including industries, institutions and governments, it is urgent to adopt measures to slow down production and encourage reuse — adequate support and funding for science will be essential to make the next generations healthier and more sustainable.

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Rossana Soletti has a PhD in Morphological Sciences and is a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

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