The Ins and Outs of Microplastics
Authors: Stephanie Wright, Ian Mudway
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Editorials1 October 2019The Ins and Outs of MicroplasticsStephanie Wright, PhD and Ian Mudway, PhDStephanie Wright, PhDMRC Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (S.W., I.M.)Search for more papers by this author and Ian Mudway, PhDMRC Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (S.W., I.M.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M19-2474 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The global challenge associated with the mismanaged release of plastic waste is significant, threatening the ecological integrity of our oceans and land. Plastics can degrade and abrade over time and fragment into microscopic particles known as microplastics (defined by the European Commission as measuring <5 mm, with those measuring <0.0001 mm considered nanoplastics). These particles have been found in all environments. Their ubiquity, which is related to the environmental persistence of solid synthetic organic polymers, has led to widespread concern about their potential effects. These concerns are supported by evidence that ingestion of microplastics by a range of biota under ...References1. Wright SL, Rowe D, Thompson RC, et al. Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms [Letter]. Curr Biol. 2013;23:R1031-3. [PMID: 24309274] doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.068 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Sussarellu R, Suquet M, Thomas Y, et al. Oyster reproduction is affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016;113:2430-5. [PMID: 26831072] doi:10.1073/pnas.1519019113 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Cox KD, Covernton GA, Davies HL, et al. Human consumption of microplastics. Environ Sci Technol. 2019;53:7068-74. [PMID: 31184127] doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b01517 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Catarino AI, Macchia V, Sanderson WG, et al. Low levels of microplastics (MP) in wild mussels indicate that MP ingestion by humans is minimal compared to exposure via household fibres fallout during a meal. Environ Pollut. 2018;237:675-84. [PMID: 29604577] doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.069 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Schwabl P, Köppel S, Königshofer P, et al. Detection of various microplastics in human stool. A prospective case series. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171:453-7. doi:10.7326/M19-0618 LinkGoogle Scholar6. Claessens M, Van Cauwenberghe L, Vandegehuchte MB, et al. New techniques for the detection of microplastics in sediments and field collected organisms. Mar Pollut Bull. 2013;70:227-33. [PMID: 23601693] doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.03.009 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Vianello A, Jensen RL, Liu L, et al. Simulating human exposure to indoor airborne microplastics using a Breathing Thermal Manikin. Sci Rep. 2019;9:8670. [PMID: 31209244] doi:10.1038/s41598-019-45054-w CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Dris R, Gasperi J, Mirande C, et al. A first overview of textile fibers, including microplastics, in indoor and outdoor environments. Environ Pollut. 2017;221:453-8. [PMID: 27989388] doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2016.12.013 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Volkheimer G. Hematogenous dissemination of ingested polyvinyl chloride particles. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975;246:164-71. [PMID: 1054950] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Steffens KJ. Persorption—criticism and agreement as based upon in vitro and in vivo studies on mammals. In: Gardner MLG, Steffens KJ, eds. Absorption of Orally Administered Enzymes. Berlin: Springer; 1995. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: MRC Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (S.W., I.M.)Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M19-2474.Corresponding Author: Stephanie Wright, PhD, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom; e-mail, stephanie.[email protected]ac.uk.Current Author Addresses: Drs. Wright and Mudway: MRC Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom.This article was published at Annals.org on 3 September 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDetection of Various Microplastics in Human Stool Philipp Schwabl , Sebastian Köppel , Philipp Königshofer , Theresa Bucsics , Michael Trauner , Thomas Reiberger , and Bettina Liebmann Metrics Cited byCharacterization and regulation of microplastic pollution for protecting planetary and human healthAtmospheric Microplastic Distribution, Fate, and Behavior in Context to PollutionMicroplastics shape the ecology of the human gastrointestinal intestinal tractRahel Hirsch: Zum 150. Geburtstag der ersten Medizinprofessorin Deutschlands 1 October 2019Volume 171, Issue 7Page: 514-515KeywordsDietFoodIngestionLungsLymph nodesMucous membranesMucusResearch laboratoriesSaltsStarches ePublished: 3 September 2019 Issue Published: 1 October 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...