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Identification of micro-/nanoplastics in human placental blood using comprehensive multidimensional pyrolysis - gas chromatography x ion mobility mass spectrometry
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Researchers developed a new analytical method using pyrolysis and advanced mass spectrometry to detect micro- and nanoplastics in human placental blood while reducing false positive results. They identified polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene particles in placental blood samples. The study provides improved tools for accurately measuring plastic contamination in human tissues, which is essential for understanding potential health effects.
BACKGROUND: Micro-/nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants and there has been a growing concern about their potential adverse effects on human health. The present study reports on the development of a novel pyrolysis-gas chromatography x ion mobility mass spectrometry method to identify MNPs in placental blood, while reducing false positive detections from matrix interferences. RESULTS: Base digestion and filtration yielded acceptable recoveries: 90 ± 11 % for polystyrene (PS), 93 ± 16 % for polyethylene (PE), and 53 ± 18 % for polypropylene (PP). Limit of Detections (LODs) ranged from 0.15 to 0.60 μg/mL, depending on the polymer. Placental blood samples were collected from 46 donors and analyzed in triplicate, resulting in measurements for 138 samples. Forty-three samples contained at least one polymer type above the limit of detection, and 10 samples contained at least one polymer type above the limit of quantification. Total plastic concentration in samples with detectable levels (>LOD) of MNPs averaged 0.9 μg/mL and ranged between 0.2 and 3.6 μg/mL. Orthogonal separation by ion mobility revealed that 10/22 PE detections were false positives. SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first to integrate ion mobility separation to differentiate between genuine and false detection of PE in human blood. Without the aid of ion mobility separation, the concentration of PE in individual samples was overestimated by up to 233 % of the mean MNP concentration, underlining the importance of multidimensional separation for individual exposure analysis.
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Researchers tested whether a common lab technique (pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) can reliably measure nanoplastics in human blood. They found that realistic detection limits were up to 20 times higher than ideal conditions suggest, and certain common plastics like polyethylene produced false readings due to interference from blood components. The study concludes that better analytical methods are needed before we can accurately measure plastic levels in human blood.
Quantitation and identification of microplastics accumulation in human placental specimens using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry
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Researchers analyzed 62 human placenta samples and found microplastics in every single one, with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 685 micrograms per gram of tissue. Polyethylene, the most common plastic in everyday products, made up 54% of the plastics found. This widespread presence of microplastics in placentas raises concerns about fetal exposure during pregnancy and potential effects on development.
Characterization of micro- and nanoplastics in human placental tissue by pyrolysis gas chromatographic ion mobility mass spectrometry
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Scientists used a sensitive new testing method to look for tiny plastic particles in placentas from 46 pregnancies, finding plastic in about 4 in 10 people tested. While this study didn't find a clear link between plastic levels and pregnancy complications, the amounts varied a lot between samples and there was a hint (not yet proven) that plastic exposure might affect male and female babies differently, meaning bigger studies are needed to figure out if these ubiquitous plastic particles pose a real risk during pregnancy.
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