Studies in mice have found that microplastics around five micrometers across could stay in the intestines or reach the liver. A person might accumulate several thousand microplastic particles in their body over their lifetime. Researchers are now recruiting parents to volunteer samples of their babies urine and stools for microplastic analysis.
Scientists are trying to figure out whether these pervasive plastic specks are dangerous.
Wherever they look – from the bottom of oceans to the top of mountains – researchers are uncovering tiny specks of plastic, known as microplastics.
Scientists are trying to understand the potential impacts of ingesting these pervasive plastics but early results are ambiguous, as some experiments might not reflect the diversity of microplastics that exist in the real world.
This is an audio version of our feature: Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful?
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