Raman Microspectroscopy Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Human Breastmilk

Abstract

The widespread use of plastics determines the inevitable human exposure to its by-products, including microplastics (MPs), which enter the human organism mainly by ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Once internalised, MPs may pass across cell membranes and translocate to different body sites, triggering specific cellular mechanisms. Hence, the potential health impairment caused by the internalisation and accumulation of MPs is of prime concern, as confirmed by numerous studies reporting evident toxic effects in various animal models, marine organisms, and human cell lines. In this pilot single-centre observational prospective study, human breastmilk samples collected from N. 34 women were analysed by Raman Microspectroscopy, and, for the first time, MP contamination was found in 26 out of 34 samples. The detected microparticles were classified according to their shape, colour, dimensions, and chemical composition. The most abundant MPs were composed of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene, with sizes ranging from 2 to 12 µm. MP data were statistically analysed in relation to specific patients’ data (age, use of personal care products containing plastic compounds, and consumption of fish/shellfish, beverages, and food in plastic packaging), but no significant relationship was found, suggesting that the ubiquitous MP presence makes human exposure inevitable.

Research advances of microplastics and potential health risks of microplastics on terrestrial higher mammals: a bibliometric analysis and literature review

“…Denatured proteins at 60°C for 1 h; (2) Added Proteinase K and CaCl2, incubating for 2 h at 50°C; (3) Filtered over glass fiber filter and dried the filter; (4) Treated the dried filters with tetramethylammonium hydroxide reagent and dried the filters again Py-GC/MS The low spike experiment recoveries were lower Quantified thermal degradation products of the plastic particles present in the samples Leslie et al, ( 2022 ) Human liver tissue (n=11) 1-2 cm 3 (0.7-7.1g) PS, PVC, PET, PMMA, POM and PP 3.2 particles/g tissue (1) Digested at 40 °C for 72 h (KOH/NaOCl=2:1); (2) Filtered via silver membrane; (3) Digested secondly with hydrogen peroxide and acetone; (4) Filtered secondly and transferred the filter to beakers with ethanol (30 ml) Raman spectroscopy (1) The position where MPs accumulated in the liver cannot be determined exactly. (2) The lower MP detection limit is 4 μm; (3) The sample size was small MPs in human feces have been determined quantitatively and qualitatively through Raman spectroscopy (Horvatits et al, 2022 ) Placentas (n=18) and meconiu m (n=12) NP PA, PU, PE, PVC, PTFE, PET 18 particles/g in the placenta; 54 particles/g in the meconium (1) Digested with concentrated nitric acid at 95 °C for 3 h; (2) Filtered with stainless steel membrane (13 μm-pore-size) and then rinsed; (3) Ultrasonic at 40 kHz for at least 30 min; (4) Filtered and repeated step 3 Agilent 8700 laser infrared imaging spectrometer (LDIR) (1) The sample size is small; (2) Exogenous microplastic contamination cannot be ruled out High diverse types of MPs were found (Liu et al, 2022 ) Human breastmilk (n=34) 4.16 ± 1.73 g PE, PVC, PVOH, PP, PVOH, PEVA, PEMA, PES and PC NP (1) Digested with KOH at 40℃ for 48 h; (2) Filtered with 1.6 μm pore-size filter membrane; (3) Dried the filter membrane at room temperature and stored in glass Petri dishes Raman microspectroscopy (1) The maximum spatial resolution of Raman spectroscopy setup is 0.5 μm; (2) The concentration of microplastics in the sample was not provided Strict quality control (Ragusa et al, 2022 ) …”

“…Although this method has not been validated in blood samples by other researchers, it provides a way for future studies. MPs have also been observed in breast milk, tantalum, pelvic cyst fluid and effusions (Guan et al, 2023 ; Huang et al, 2022 ; Ragusa et al, 2022 ). Due to ethical and technical limitations, it is difficult to directly quantify MPs in the human gastrointestinal tract.…”

Elements of a Planetary Emergency: Environment of Peace (Part 1)

“…They invade the bodies of fish, birds and terrestrial animals, including humans, who have been estimated to consume in the vicinity of 50 000 microplastic particles each year; 47 they have been found in the placenta of pregnant women and in breast milk. 48 Studies agree that there are serious grounds for concern about the toxic effects of microplastics but there is a lack of precise knowledge about their effects. 49 Ocean currents pull microplastics into enormous areas of soupy pollution; the extent of the soup in the North Pacific, often known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, was estimated in 2018 to be 1.6 million square kilometres, 50 which is about three times the size of France or twice the size of Texas in the United States.…”

Deeply in Plasticenta: Presence of Microplastics in the Intracellular Compartment of Human Placentas

“…MPs have been found in human placenta and in the meconium of newborns [ 20 , 23 ] even in higher concentrations than in adults’ stool [ 39 ], in the breastmilk [ 22 ], and in the blood [ 21 ], confirming that the exposure to MPs begins indeed in the earliest stages of human life.…”

“…Scientists and public authorities have raised concerns about MPs in food, potential human intake, and health consequences [ 2 , 18 , 19 ], but data are scarce. MPs have also recently been found in human tissues, fluids, and secretions [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], but the effect of MPs on a global and cellular level is still unclear.…”