Microplastics in Medicine

Ventsislav Kolev Valev, University of Bath, UK, Liwu Zhang, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, and colleagues have discovered microplastics in medical IV solutions. Around 2,000 plastic particles from a 250-milliliter saline bag could enter the bloodstream, with the tiny particles likely detaching from the plastic of the infusion bags.

Already data fromthe 1970s suggest that in addition to water, electrolytes, nutrients, and medications, fluids in infusion bags may also contain tiny solid particles. Back then, it was suspected that these particles were plastic fragments from the infusion bags, potentially entering patients’ bloodstream, though this had not been verified until now.

The researchers first dripped the contents of six commercial 250-milliliter bags from two different manufacturers into glass vessels, filtering them through standard clinic filter paper. However, these filters were too coarse for the smallest microplastics. They then filtered the solutions through a finer membrane, dried the particles, and counted them under a microscope. The total number of particles per infusion bag was calculated, and a combination of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the materials of the solid particles.

The infusion solutions from both manufacturers were contaminated with microplastic particles made of polypropylene. The fragments ranged in size from 1 to 62 µm, with most being smaller than 20 µm, though they varied in shape.

The particles likely originate from the infusion bags themselves. While the health effects remain uncertain, potential risks include inflammation and organ damage. The researchers calculate that a patient receiving multiple infusions for dehydration could end up with between 24,000 and 30,000 plastic particles in their bloodstream. During abdominal surgery, this number could rise to 52,500, and mothers could receive around 7,000 particles during childbirth.

To reduce contamination, researchers suggest using finer filters during infusion and protecting IV bags from heat and UV exposure, though complete prevention may be difficult.