Tiny particles of plastic penetrate into the cells of the lungs and liver, disrupting their metabolism. Scientists from the Middle Kingdom came to such a sad conclusion.
Scientists from China and Hong Kong have published the results of a study that proved another insidious ability of microplastics. These tiny particles of plastic, less than 5 mm long, are capable of, as they say, biting into liver and lung cells. And because of this, metabolic changes are carried out there, which threaten serious and negative health consequences. These are the results of experiments during which human liver and lung cells were exposed to microplastics in the laboratory.
Observations have shown that plastic did not provoke the death of these cells, but it greatly changed them. And depending on the number of cells that underwent these changes, there was also the release of reactive oxygen species, as well as peptides and amino acids. Consequently, we were talking about violations of critical metabolic processes inside cells, which is fraught with serious health consequences.
Microplastic particles are now found on our planet everywhere from Mount Everest, to remote areas of the oceans like the North and South Poles. And this is not surprising when you consider that 11 million metric tons of plastic are thrown into the water system of the planet every year, and by 2040 their number will increase threefold.