Microplastics found in the urinary tract are linked to health risks

A new study disputes a 2019 World Health Organization report that microplastics in drinking water are harmless after their presence was confirmed in kidney, urine and bladder cancer samples.

The scoping review led by researchers from Bond University looked at 18 previous studies to assess the presence of microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics in the urinary tract. They found that the contaminants were present in 54% of urine samples, 70% of kidney samples and 68% of bladder cancer cases.

The study concluded that the plastic waste harmed the cells of the human urinary tract by causing toxicity and inflammation, thereby reducing cell survival. They also disrupt MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling, a process that helps cells respond to growth signals and stress.

“This scoping review highlights the rapidly emerging threat of microplastic contamination in the human urinary tract, and challenges the World Health Organization’s assertion that microplastics do not pose a risk to human health,” the authors wrote.

“The documented cytotoxic effects of microplastics, in addition to their ability to cause inflammation, reduce cell viability and disrupt signaling pathways, raise significant public health concerns related to bladder cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic urinary tract infections and incontinence.

“As a result, this study highlights the urgent need for further research and policy development to address the challenges surrounding microplastic pollution.”

Since their widespread adoption in the mid-20th century, plastics have permeated all aspects of society.

In 2019, approximately 368 million tons of plastic were produced and that is expected to double by 2039. This has resulted in the accumulation of tiny fragments that have found their way into all aspects of the environment.

In addition to the well-documented environmental impacts of microplastics, there is increasing evidence that their presence in human organ systems causes disease and health problems.

The researchers were particularly interested in the effects of microplastics on the urinary tract, as an estimated 404.61 million urinary tract infections occurred in 2019 alone, resulting in more than 236,000 deaths.

One of the researchers, Ph.D. candidate Liam O’Callaghan said it is impossible to avoid microplastics.

“We drink them, we eat them, we breathe them. They can be absorbed through the skin,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“If you heat up plastic containers, millions of these tiny microplastics can end up in the food. You could filter your water, but if that filter is made of plastic, over time it will start to break down the water you use and pollute.” drink again.

“Even tea bags: they’re covered in plastic so the paper doesn’t disintegrate when you pour boiling water into them, and these bags can release billions of plastic particles into your tea.”

Mr O’Callaghan said using glass containers and avoiding food packaging were ways to minimize exposure to microplastics.

“Why do we wrap everything in plastic in the stores?” he said. “Do fresh products really have to be wrapped in plastic, or can we just sell everything without unnecessary packaging?”

The Bond researchers hope to conduct further research into the effects of microplastics on the human body.

“We thought we would start with the urinary tract because the kidneys are the body’s filtering system,” Mr O’Callaghan said. “We know microplastics are found in cancers, but do they have anything to do with the onset of the cancers? We don’t know yet.

“We do know that they enter the bloodstream, and a few heart-related papers have shown that these particles can cause red blood cells to burst.”

The study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiologyis believed to be the first to summarize research on the presence and effects of microplastics in the human urinary tract.

Associate Professor Lotti Tajouri, Associate Professor Rashed Alghafri, Davinia Beaver and Professor Simon McKirdy also took part in the study.

The number of studies into microplastics has increased significantly recently.

A study from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy found that of 200 people who underwent surgery, almost 60% had microplastics or nanoplastics in a main artery.

Meanwhile, a team from the University of Sao Paulo’s medical school found them in the brains of 8 of the 15 people who died. The pieces of plastic were found in the olfactory bulb, a part of the brain that processes smell.