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Study finds high concentrations of plastics in the placentas of infants born prematurely
Medical Xpress / Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting ^ | Jan. 31, 2025 | Kjersti Aagaard, MD, Ph.D., MSCI et al

Posted on 02/02/2025 9:56:03 AM PST by ConservativeMind

Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, which are invisible to the naked eye, are widespread throughout our environment. Research has shown exposure to plastics in general is harmful to both the environment and humans.

Now, researchers will unveil findings that suggest microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in higher concentrations in the placentas of infants born prematurely compared to those born at term.

Researchers used highly sensitive mass spectrometry to analyze 175 placentas; 100 placentas collected at term and 75 collected preterm (less than 37 weeks of pregnancy).

"Advanced technology now enables us to accurately measure microplastics in ways we haven't been able to in the past," says Kjersti Aagaard, MD, Ph.D., MSCI.

Researchers found that the levels of microplastics and nanoplastics were significantly higher in preterm placenta and they were at much greater levels than previously measured in human blood. This led the investigators to conclude that plastics were likely accumulating in the placenta during pregnancy, with a greater exposure and accumulation occurring in cases of preterm birth.

"The finding of higher placental concentrations among preterm births was surprising because it was counterintuitive to what you might expect if it was merely a byproduct of the length of time of the pregnancy," says Enrico R. Barrozo, Ph.D.

"In other words, a preterm delivery not only accumulated more microplastics and nanoplastics in its placenta relative to term, but did so at an earlier time point in the pregnancy," added Aagaard.

"This hints at the possibility that the accumulation of plastics could be contributing to the risk and occurrence of preterm birth. When combined with other recent research, this study adds to the growing body of evidence, ranging from heart disease to potentially stroke, that demonstrates a real risk of exposure to plastics on human health and disease."

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: environmentalplastic; environmetalplastics; microplastics; nanoplastics; plastic; plastics; premature
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To: erlayman

George Carlin suggested that humans are the earth’s way of moving plastic around.


21 posted on 02/02/2025 10:20:14 AM PST by SpaceBar
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Canola oil might make it so. That stuff is nasty. Canada can keep it.


22 posted on 02/02/2025 10:21:20 AM PST by madison10
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To: SpaceBar

“Why are we here?”

“Plastic, a_____e!”


23 posted on 02/02/2025 10:21:25 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ConservativeMind

In another article about microplastics, I was surprised at the upper end of the size-range of what is considered ‘microplastics’ (2mm, if I remember correctly). The article focused on the alarming amount of microplastics in the oceans - I’m thinking in order to dramatize the amount, they may have seen fit to be more inclusive by expanding the size-range.

I would be curious to know the size-range of the plastic particles found in these placentas - since knowing that would help narrow down the likely source, i.e., confirm that it was from household dust arising from synthetic clothing and bedsheets, rug fibers, etc..- and suggest what filters might mitigate the problem.


24 posted on 02/02/2025 10:23:24 AM PST by enumerated (81 million votes my ass)
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To: packagingguy

When I was growing up, bottled water wasn’t a ‘thing’. But we got milk and sometimes orange juice in waxed cardboard containers that worked fine. Orange juice also came in glass, soft drinks in glass and later aluminum.

When I was very young, there was an insulated metal ‘milk box’ outside the front door; we’d put empty glass milk bottles in it, and the milkman would come several times a week and bring new milk and take the old bottles.


25 posted on 02/02/2025 10:31:47 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: ConservativeMind

If you thing a quarter inch is small, stop shoving pop bottles into your arm.


26 posted on 02/02/2025 10:45:59 AM PST by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: Secret Agent Man
Microplastics are 5 mm or less.

Think small, very thin strands of individual clothing thread that is in your household dust. It is long, but super thin.

27 posted on 02/02/2025 10:56:04 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

‘Significantly higher’ without number and confidence interval means NOTHING but junk science, which is this ‘study’ (not) is.
But keep posting those hysterical ‘findings’, they help showing how bad the anti plastic pseudo-science is.


28 posted on 02/02/2025 11:07:52 AM PST by miniTAX
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To: ConservativeMind
Our best bet seems to be source-reduction, but a large amount of household dust is from fine plastics, such as synthetic clothes and carpet naturally breaking down.

I hadn't considered this, thank you. Time to install that bag filter with the FAU blower on a timer I've been contemplating for the last 25 years. We heat the house with wood, so we don't need the blower for anything else.

29 posted on 02/02/2025 11:13:46 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: packagingguy
Help me on this. My memory is that degradable plastic shopping bags, meant to help animals not suffocate, are made of normal plastic pellets and biodegradable starch.

In essence, these very bags are the more immediate problem, because they leach out micro and nano plastics, upon simple starch components breaking down.

30 posted on 02/02/2025 11:15:50 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Jamestown1630

One of the main reasons glass has been abandoned as a packaging material is the weight. Remember companies look to squeeze every last cent of profit they can.

Glass is heavy. That leads to increased shipping cost.

Reusing it requires cleaning. It’s cheaper for a company to let the consumer throw plastic bottles in the trash. Let the city/county/taxpayer pay for disposal.

That’s why only high end juices, wine, liquor is in glass; that’s because glass has absolute barrier qualities that preserve expensive products.


31 posted on 02/02/2025 11:20:46 AM PST by packagingguy
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To: packagingguy

Well, what was wrong with the waxed cartons?


32 posted on 02/02/2025 11:22:00 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: packagingguy

‘This is one instance where government does have a role; companies should not be able to externalize their costs on the general public and wildlife’

Nonsense. First, plastics were the evil. Now, it’s microplastics then nanoplastics.
Stop the hysteria and find a single scientific evidence that they have caused any harm.
And repeating ad nauseam the same stupid luddite anti-plastic claims doesn’t count as evidence.


33 posted on 02/02/2025 11:23:35 AM PST by miniTAX
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To: enumerated

They are found in every placenta (possibly bloodstream) but the biggest difference with normal weight and preterm were PET, PVC, polyurethane, and polycarbonate.


34 posted on 02/02/2025 11:28:01 AM PST by erlayman (E )
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To: miniTAX

Absence of proof often means that nobody has done a study.


35 posted on 02/02/2025 11:32:16 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Margarine isn’t plastic, but it does contain all kinds of nasty trans fats. I only use butter. Generally speaking, natural is better.


36 posted on 02/02/2025 11:53:11 AM PST by FormerFRLurker ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"-Voltaire)
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To: ConservativeMind

This cant be correct. Their next statements are they aren’t visible with the naked eye, 5 mm is half a centimeter long, easily visible with the naked eye. 5 micrometers fits that criteria, not 5 millimeters.


37 posted on 02/02/2025 11:54:26 AM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: FormerFRLurker

I’ve read that your body doesn’t recognize trans fats as ‘food’ and doesn’t know how to process them.


38 posted on 02/02/2025 11:57:18 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630

That’s probably true.


39 posted on 02/02/2025 11:58:40 AM PST by FormerFRLurker ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"-Voltaire)
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To: Jamestown1630

With any of these collective madness, useless bureaucrats have done ‘studies’, but on 20 lab rats, with meaningless ‘risk’ factors and irreproducible results. Gullible suckers and the fearmongering media do the rest.
It’s the sad state of affairs of the current health ‘science’.


40 posted on 02/02/2025 12:01:49 PM PST by miniTAX
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