BigstockHealth impact is unknown but experts say plastic may damage a developing fetus’s immune systemMicroplastics have been revealed in the placentas of pregnant women for the first time, which the researchers said was “a matter of great concern.”A new research, published in the Environment International journal, identified a range of synthetic substances from relatively small tissue samples, reports The Independent. The women who took part in the study in Italy had no complications with the births of their children, and the effect of the tiny plastic particles is unknown, however, experts have suggested plastics could provide a means for harmful chemicals to damage a developing fetus’s immune system. The researchers from Rome’s Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Rome, which specializes in pediatrics, and the Politecnica delle Marche University said: “With the presence of plastic in the body, the immune system that self-recognizes is disturbed, even what is not organic. Inside human cells, microplastics are treated as foreign bodies by the host organism and this can trigger localized immune responses. Microplastics can also act as carriers for other chemicals, including environmental pollutants and plastic additives, which may be released and are known for their harmful effects, the authors said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 23, 2020 03:22 UTC