Microplastics Found in Human Breastmilk for the First Time

The global production of plastics has reached monumental levels, with about 350 million tons produced per year. Widespread usage has led to the accumulation of plastics in landfills and in the natural environment. Once released into the natural environment, plastics undergo degradation that breaks them into smaller fragments ranging from 5mm to 100 nanometres. Through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact, these microplastics can enter the human body, sequestering at different body sites by crossing cell membranes. Previous research has detected microplastics in blood and stool samples, as well as human lung tissue and the placenta.

Now, for the first time ever, microplastics have been found in human breast milk. The discovery came from a study published in the journal Polymers in which researchers examined breast milk samples taken from 34 healthy mothers a week after giving birth. Microplastics were detected in 26, (76%) of the samples. Concerns over the potential health impacts of these findings have been raised, especially for infants, who are especially vulnerable to chemical contaminants.

The researchers also recorded the mothers’ use of personal care products containing plastic compounds, as well as their consumption of food and drink in plastic packaging. They showed that these factors had no correlation to prevalence of microplastics in samples. Instead, the researchers suggested that the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the environment “makes human exposure inevitable”.

Despite the study finding no risk factors for microplastic exposure, Dr Valentina Notarstefano, one of the study authors, told The Guardian: “We would like to advise pregnant women to pay greater attention to avoiding food and drink packaged in plastics, cosmetics and toothpastes containing microplastics, and clothes made of synthetic fabrics”.

The health impacts caused by the internalisation and accumulation of microplastics in humans is still unknown, although numerous studies have reported toxic effects of microplastics in various animal models, marine organisms, and human cell lines. The researchers noted that “there is no knowledge about the possible impact of microplastics and related contaminants on suckling infants” indicating that “there is an urgent need for more studies”.

However, the researchers do not want to deter mothers from breast feeding their children, with Dr Notarstefano making the following comment: “it must be stressed that the advantages of breastfeeding are much greater than the disadvantages caused by the presence of polluting microplastics. Studies like ours must not reduce breastfeeding of children, but instead raise public awareness to pressure politicians to promote laws that reduce pollution”. Further research, carried out with larger sample sizes, will be required to truly rule out a correlation between plastic packaging and the prevalence of microplastics in the human body.