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Can Microplastics Be Absorbed Through Our Skin? New Research Gives a Clue
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New research shows that chemicals from microplastics (tiny plastic bits found in everyday items) can seep out through sweat and pass into human skin. This means simply touching or wearing certain plastic-containing products might let these chemicals into your body, not just eating or breathing them in, as scientists previously thought. While more research is needed to know the full health impact, this finding suggests skin contact is another route we should pay attention to when it comes to limiting our exposure to plastic-related chemicals.
The study provides the first experimental proof that substances included in microplastic additives can seep into perspiration on humans and then enter t...
More Papers Like This
Can Microplastics Be Absorbed Through Our Skin? New Research Gives a Clue
AI summary Read the abstract
New research shows that chemicals used in plastics (like the ones found in packaging and everyday products) can actually pass through your skin when they mix with sweat. This matters because it suggests our skin isn't just a barrier, it could be another way these chemicals get into our bodies, in addition to breathing them in or eating them, giving scientists a fuller picture of how we're exposed to plastic-related chemicals in daily life.
Assessment of human dermal absorption of flame retardant additives in polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics using 3D human skin equivalent models
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Using 3D lab-grown human skin models, researchers found that flame retardant chemicals (PBDEs) embedded in polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics can be absorbed through the skin. Up to 8% of the flame retardant dose was bioavailable through dermal contact, with factors like sweat, particle size, and plastic type influencing absorption rates. This is the first study to demonstrate that chemical additives in microplastics can enter the body through skin exposure, adding to the known ingestion and inhalation routes.
Human skin and micro- and nanoplastics: a mini-review
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This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics interact with human skin, a less-studied route of exposure compared to ingestion and inhalation. Researchers found that tiny plastic particles can penetrate the skin barrier through cosmetics, contaminated water, and airborne pollution. The study suggests that skin exposure to these particles may contribute to overall human microplastic burden, though more research is needed to fully understand the health implications.
Understanding the Risk of Microplastic Dermal Absorption
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This review examines the understudied pathway of microplastic absorption through the skin, highlighting a significant research gap compared to inhalation and ingestion routes. Researchers analyzed the potential mechanisms by which small plastic particles in skincare and cosmetic products could penetrate skin barriers. The study calls for more research into dermal absorption risks, particularly given the continued growth of the personal care product industry.
Novel Insights into the Dermal Bioaccessibility and Human Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardant Additives in Microplastics
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This study tested how flame retardant chemicals embedded in microplastics can be absorbed through human skin using a lab-based simulation. The researchers found that these toxic additives can leach out of microplastic particles and pass through the skin barrier, with absorption rates varying by plastic type. This reveals a previously underappreciated route of human exposure to harmful chemicals carried by microplastics, especially through skin contact with contaminated dust or surfaces.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.