Detection of various microplastics in human stool: a prospective case series
P Schwabl, S K�ppel, P K�nigshofer…�- Annals of internal�…, 2019 - acpjournals.org
Annals of internal medicine, 2019•acpjournals.org
Background: Microplastics are ubiquitous in natural environments. Ingestion of microplastics
has been described in marine organisms, whereby particles may enter the food chain.
Objective: To examine human feces for the presence of microplastics to determine whether
humans involuntarily ingest them. Design: Prospective case series in which participants
completed a food diary and sampled stool according to step-by-step instructions. Setting:
Europe and Asia. Participants: Eight healthy volunteers aged 33 to 65 years. Measurements�…
has been described in marine organisms, whereby particles may enter the food chain.
Objective: To examine human feces for the presence of microplastics to determine whether
humans involuntarily ingest them. Design: Prospective case series in which participants
completed a food diary and sampled stool according to step-by-step instructions. Setting:
Europe and Asia. Participants: Eight healthy volunteers aged 33 to 65 years. Measurements�…
Background
Microplastics are ubiquitous in natural environments. Ingestion of microplastics has been described in marine organisms, whereby particles may enter the food chain.
Objective
To examine human feces for the presence of microplastics to determine whether humans involuntarily ingest them.
Design
Prospective case series in which participants completed a food diary and sampled stool according to step-by-step instructions.
Setting
Europe and Asia.
Participants
Eight healthy volunteers aged 33 to 65 years.
Measurements
After chemical digestion, Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy was used to analyze the presence and shape of 10 common types of microplastic in stool samples.
Results
All 8 stool samples tested positive for microplastics. A median of 20 microplastics (50 to 500 �m in size) per 10 g of human stool were identified. Overall, 9 plastic types were detected, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate being the most abundant.
Limitations
There were few participants, and each provided only 1 sample. The origin and fate of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract were not investigated.
Conclusion
Various microplastics were detected in human stool, suggesting inadvertent ingestion from different sources. Further research on the extent of microplastic intake and the potential effect on human health is needed.
Primary Funding Source
None.
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