Scientists Find Microplastics Used in Food Packaging in Human Veins
Scientists from the University of Hull and Hull York Medical School have discovered microplastics in vascular tissue for the first time, suggesting that the substances can pass to human tissue through blood vessels. Two of the most prominent polymer types that were found in vascular tissue during the study are used in food packaging.
The present study is the first to examine whether microplastics can infiltrate or cross any biological barrier, including blood vessels. Hull researchers, in collaboration with scientists from the Hull University Teaching Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Trust, analyzed human saphenous vein tissue taken from patients undergoing heart bypass surgery.