Australian scientists from the University of New South Wales studied the movement of microplastics in the human body when particles are inhaled. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Physics of Fluids (POF).
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic debris less than five millimeters in length. Today, they are found nearly everywhere in every corner of the Earth, including the depths of the oceans and polar ice caps.
According to previous calculations, the average person inhales approximately 16.2 pieces of microplastic every hour.
In a new study, scientists created a computer model to analyze where ingested plastics are most likely to accumulate. It turns out that the largest polymer particles tend to get stuck in the upper respiratory tract, including the nasal cavity and the back of the throat.
The full impact of microplastics on the human body is still unknown. However, it has been shown to destroy cells, cause intestinal inflammation, and reduce fertility in mice.
Microplastics can also carry viruses, bacteria and other dangerous chemicals that travel across the microscopic surfaces of their pieces.
Microplastic particles before to create in human arteries.