The occurrence of microplastics in nature has been studied extensively, also at the University of Eastern Finland. However, little is known about the health effects of microplastics, and understanding of their transport into the human body is also lacking. Any adverse health effects possibly associated with plastics may be caused by the plastic compound itself, or by the environmental toxins it carries. Many known fat-soluble environmental toxins and heavy metals are known to be able to attach to the surface of small plastic particles. This is why it is important to investigate the transport mechanisms of microplastics into the human body. However, not enough research methods have been developed for the study of this transport. Another key challenge in microplastics research is the lack of standardized methods.
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Source: Phys.org