Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Detection of microplastics in human saphenous vein tissue using μFTIR: a pilot study

Rotchell, Jeanette M.; Jenner, Lauren C.; Chapman, Emma; Bennett, Robert; Bolanle, Israel Olapeju; Loubani, Mahmoud; Sadofsky, Laura; Palmer, Tim

Authors

Lauren C. Jenner

Emma Chapman

Robert Bennett

Israel Olapeju Bolanle

Mahmoud Loubani

Laura Sadofsky



Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the environment, in the human food chain, and have been recently detected in blood and lung tissues. To undertake a pilot analysis of MP contamination in human vein tissue samples with respect to their presence (if any), levels, and characteristics of any particles identified. This study analysed digested human saphenous vein tissue samples (n = 5) using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 5 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. In total, 20 MP particles consisting of five MP polymer types were identified within 4 of the 5 vein tissue samples with an unadjusted average of 29.28 ± 34.88 MP/g of tissue (expressed as 14.99 ± 17.18 MP/g after background subtraction adjustments). Of the MPs detected in vein samples, five polymer types were identified, of irregular shape (90%), with alkyd resin (45%), poly (vinyl propionate/acetate, PVAc (20%) and nylon-ethylene-vinyl acetate, nylon-EVA, tie layer (20%) the most abundant. While the MP levels within tissue samples were not significantly different than those identified within procedural blanks (which represent airborne contamination at time of sampling), they were comprised of different plastic polymer types. The blanks comprised n = 13 MP particles of four MP polymer types with the most abundant being polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), then polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyfumaronitrile:styrene (FNS), with a mean ± SD of 10.4 ± 9.21, p = 0.293. This study reports the highest level of contamination control and reports unadjusted values alongside different contamination adjustment techniques. This is the first evidence of MP contamination of human vascular tissues. These results support the phenomenon of transport of MPs within human tissues, specifically blood vessels, and this characterisation of types and levels can now inform realistic conditions for laboratory exposure experiments, with the aim of determining vascular health impacts.

Citation

Rotchell, J. M., Jenner, L. C., Chapman, E., Bennett, R., Bolanle, I. O., Loubani, M., …Palmer, T. (2023). Detection of microplastics in human saphenous vein tissue using μFTIR: a pilot study. PLoS ONE, 18(2), Article e0280594. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280594

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 3, 2023
Online Publication Date Feb 1, 2023
Publication Date Feb 1, 2023
Deposit Date Jan 12, 2023
Publicly Available Date Feb 3, 2023
Journal PLoS ONE
Print ISSN 1932-6203
Electronic ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher Public Library of Science
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 18
Issue 2
Article Number e0280594
DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280594
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4175609

Files


Published article (762 Kb)
PDF

Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Copyright Statement
Copyright: © 2023 Rotchell et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.




You might also like



Downloadable Citations