Although there are particles in retail goods and on Dutch farms, it is uncertain how they may affect people’s health.
Microplastic contamination in beef, pork, and farm animals’ blood has been discovered for the first time.
Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) in the Netherlands discovered the microparticles in every blood sample and in 75 percent of the meat and dairy products they analyzed.
Additionally, they were discovered in each sample of the examined animal pellet feed, pointing to a possible significant point of contamination. Another approach is the plastic packaging used for food goods.
The same techniques were applied to investigate living animal products after VUA researchers made their initial investigation of microplastic particles in the human bloodstream in March. The fact that the particles were found in blood indicates that they may move around the body and settle in organs.
The effect on the health of farm animals or people is not yet known. Scientists remain concerned despite the fact that it is already known that air pollutant components enter the human body & bring millions of avoidable deaths each year and that human cells are harmed by microplastics in scientific experiments. Microplastics are also known to affect some species.
Microplastics have polluted the whole world, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans, due to the massive volumes of plastic garbage thrown into the ecosystem. It was previously known that people inhaled the microscopic particles and ingested them through food and water.
According to Dr. Heather Leslie( a representative of VUA), “by sampling blood, you’re figuring out the absorbed dosage from all the numerous exposure routes. These included air, water, food, etc.” The fact that it quickly informs you of what is entering the river of life makes it incredibly intriguing.
The pilot investigation determined whether there were microplastics in dairy, meat, and farm animals. According to Leslie, it should serve as motivation to further investigate the extent of exposure and any related hazards.
The researchers examined 12 samples of blood taken from cows and 12 samples from pigs and discovered microplastics, including polyethylene and polystyrene. The 25 samples comprised hand-milking, milk from farm tanks, and milk from storage containers. Microplastics were present in 18 samples, at least one of each kind.
Five of the eight pork samples and seven of the eight beef samples had contaminants. The paper said, “it remains uncertain if there are any potential toxicological hazards of these results.” Even though in 2021, microplastics were discovered on farms and in milk purchased in France and Switzerland, respectively, other countries have not yet tested farm animals or meat.
“Given that microplastics are prevalent in animal feed, it is not unexpected that a clear majority of the meat and dairy products, such as milk, were tested. They all included some amount of microplastics,” said a representative of the Plastic Soup Foundation, which funded the study. Plastic must be eliminated entirely from animal feed to safeguard human and animal health.