We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Presence of Microplastic-like Structures in a University Community and Its Companion Animals, from Bogotá-Colombia: An Exploratory Study
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers in Colombia found tiny plastic-like particles in the poop of almost every person and pet they tested, 97.78% of humans and 100% of dogs and cats. Interestingly, people's microplastic levels didn't match their own pets' levels, suggesting we're not just picking up plastics from our shared homes, but likely from different sources like our specific foods, water, or daily habits. This is a small first-look study, but it adds to growing evidence that microplastics are basically everywhere in our bodies, and scientists are still working out exactly where they come from and what that means for our health.
Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed among humans and companion animals. Fecal samples from members of the university community at the Pontifical Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia, and their companion animals (pets) were analyzed to investigate a possible association between MP loads in humans and their dogs and/or cats. Structures compatible with microplastics were detected in the feces of 97.78% of humans and 100% of companion animals. No significant correlation was found between MP loads in humans and their companion animals (p = 0.6846), suggesting that exposure is not determined solely by the shared household environment. If the home were the dominant and exclusive source of exposure, a positive correlation between owners and their companion animals would be expected. Instead, the results indicate the existence of species-specific exposure routes. This exploratory study provides the first report of MP-like structures in fecal samples from humans and their companion animals in Colombia.
More Papers Like This
Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polycarbonate Microplastics in Pet Food and Feces from the United States
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured PET and polycarbonate microplastics in pet food and pet feces from the United States. They found that microplastic concentrations in cat and dog feces were one to two orders of magnitude higher than in their food, suggesting that diet is only a minor source of pet microplastic exposure. The findings indicate that pets, like humans, are exposed to microplastics through multiple pathways in their shared living environments.
A review on microplastics in mammalian feces: Monitoring techniques and associated challenges
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics appear in the feces of humans, dogs, cats, and marine mammals, finding PET plastic to be the most common type across species. Analyzing feces offers a non-invasive way to track how much plastic organisms are ingesting, which could help guide environmental health policies.
Microplásticos en ambientes urbanos: el perro como bioindicador de exposición y riesgo gastrointestinal humano
AI summary Read the abstract
Analysis of feces from 27 domestic dogs in Ecuador found microplastics in 77.8% of samples at an average of 288.89 MPs/g, predominantly fibers, and a significant association was detected between dogs' microplastic load and gastrointestinal disease in their human owners (p = 0.027). This study validates companion dogs as environmental sentinels for domestic microplastic exposure and provides some of the first evidence linking household plastic contamination to human gastrointestinal health outcomes.
Detection of Various Microplastics in Human Stool
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analyzed human stool samples and detected various types of microplastic particles, providing direct evidence that microplastics pass through the human digestive system. The study highlights that people are routinely ingesting microplastics through everyday food and drink consumption.
Microplastics Found in Human Stool
AI summary Read the abstract
A study confirmed that tiny plastic particles are making it into human intestines and appearing in fecal samples, providing direct evidence that people ingest microplastics through food and water. This finding raised significant public concern about the potential health effects of plastic particles accumulating in the human body.
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.