People with inflammatory bowel disease have 50% more fecal microplastics, a study has found.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, analyzed samples from 50 healthy people and 52 people with intestinal disease. Participants were from all over China and also completed a questionnaire that included information on their dietary habits last year.
Previous research has shown that microplastics can cause intestinal inflammation and other intestinal problems in laboratory animals, but research is the first to investigate possible effects in humans. The scientists found 42 microplastics per gram in samples dried from people with intestinal disease and 28 pieces in healthy people.
The study does not prove the cause and scientists said further research needs to be done. It can happen that inflammatory bowel diseases (term for two conditions - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) make people carry more microplastics.
The scientists found that people who tended to drink bottled water or eat ready-made foods had about twice the concentration of microplastics in their feces. In total, 15 different types of plastic were found. The most common were PET, used in water bottles and food holders, and polyamide, which is also found in food packaging.
