STUDY FINDS MICROPLASTICS IN HUMAN PLACENTA

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A study has revealed a shocking fact about plastic pollution that has plagued the planet for decades

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A team from University of New Mexico Health Sciences tested 62 placenta samples to find how widespread the plastic pollution is

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They found microplastics in all the placenta samples with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue

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The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal Toxicological Sciences

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Scientists said though these numbers are small, concern is that the volume of microplastics in the environment is increasing

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In the study, the team analysed donated placenta tissue through a process known as saponification

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The researchers found small nuggets of plastic at the bottom of the tube in which samples were tested

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The placenta contained most prevalent polymer in placental tissue, polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles

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Polyvinyl chloride (better known as PVC) and nylon each represented about 10% of the total

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Lead author Matthew Campen said the situation is getting worse and level of pollutants is expected to double every 10 to 15 years

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