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Health Risks from Microplastics in Intravenous Infusions: Evidence from Italy, Spain, and Ecuador
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Researchers analyzed intravenous (IV) fluid bags and bottles from Italy, Spain, and Ecuador and found microplastics in nearly all samples, with plastic bags containing up to 299 particles per liter. This is concerning because IV fluids deliver microplastics directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the body's natural barriers, and some brands showed concentrations high enough to pose clinical risk.
The rising incidence of microplastics (MPs) is a possible health risk to humans. The present study aims to analyze the presence of MPs in intravenous (IV) infusions and compare MP concentrations from multiple brands. The IV solutions of 29 medical devices (IV-MDs) from seven brands commercialized in Ecuador, Spain, and Italy have been selected under specific consideration to carry out the study. The detection of MPs has been quite obvious in almost all of the samples from brands in the mentioned countries. MP concentrations ranged from 9 to 20 MPs/L in glass containers to 166-299 MPs/L in plastic bags, with the majority of fragments (63%) on fibres (37%) and more than 60% of particles less than 100 µm. Nine different types of MPs were identified in this study. High clinical risk was indicated by markings with >200 MPs/L. Nevertheless, the medium polymeric danger index (PHI) was 1.7. According to these outcomes, IV infusion is a direct exposure to MPs that may have harmful medical repercussions. It is imperative that MPs' limitations be included in pharmacopoeic monographs and in vivo toxicological and epidemiological studies. The present study aims to analyze the presence of MPs in IV-MDs and compare MP concentrations from multiple IV-MD brands.
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