Hidden hazards: microplastics in intravenous admixtures and their path into the body

IF 2.9 4区 环境科学与生态学 Q3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Anushree Pal, Sukalyan Chakraborty
{"title":"Hidden hazards: microplastics in intravenous admixtures and their path into the body","authors":"Anushree Pal,&nbsp;Sukalyan Chakraborty","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-13850-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in all environmental spheres, from the Arctic to the deepest ocean trenches, and have also infiltrated the internal organs of the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and other exposure routes. While various commercial products have been identified as origin of MPs, leading to bans and awareness campaigns, their presence in medical treatments remains underexplored. This study investigates MPs in intravenous (IV) admixtures, which are stored in plastic containers before administration. The hypothesis suggests that prolonged storage may degrade container walls, leading to the release of MPs into the solutions. Analysis of 11 IV admixtures with the help of a stereomicroscope revealed a significant presence of fibre and fragment particles, with 99% of detected MPs measuring less than 100 µm. Polymers identified through a micro FTIR included polypropylene-polyethylene (PP-PE) copolymer, polypropylene (PP) homopolymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and polyurethane (PU). The abundance of MPs increased with storage duration, with older solutions exhibiting more surface roughness, indicating progressive degradation of plastic materials over time. These findings highlight an overlooked route of MP exposure, directly introducing these particles into the human body during medical treatments. Given the increasing use of IV therapies worldwide, further research is essential to assess the health risks posed by MPs in medical solutions. Regulatory measures should be considered to minimize contamination and ensure patient safety.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10661-025-13850-9.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-025-13850-9","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in all environmental spheres, from the Arctic to the deepest ocean trenches, and have also infiltrated the internal organs of the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and other exposure routes. While various commercial products have been identified as origin of MPs, leading to bans and awareness campaigns, their presence in medical treatments remains underexplored. This study investigates MPs in intravenous (IV) admixtures, which are stored in plastic containers before administration. The hypothesis suggests that prolonged storage may degrade container walls, leading to the release of MPs into the solutions. Analysis of 11 IV admixtures with the help of a stereomicroscope revealed a significant presence of fibre and fragment particles, with 99% of detected MPs measuring less than 100 µm. Polymers identified through a micro FTIR included polypropylene-polyethylene (PP-PE) copolymer, polypropylene (PP) homopolymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and polyurethane (PU). The abundance of MPs increased with storage duration, with older solutions exhibiting more surface roughness, indicating progressive degradation of plastic materials over time. These findings highlight an overlooked route of MP exposure, directly introducing these particles into the human body during medical treatments. Given the increasing use of IV therapies worldwide, further research is essential to assess the health risks posed by MPs in medical solutions. Regulatory measures should be considered to minimize contamination and ensure patient safety.

求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 环境科学-环境科学
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
6.70%
发文量
1000
审稿时长
7.3 months
期刊介绍: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment emphasizes technical developments and data arising from environmental monitoring and assessment, the use of scientific principles in the design of monitoring systems at the local, regional and global scales, and the use of monitoring data in assessing the consequences of natural resource management actions and pollution risks to man and the environment.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信