Microplastics Spawn Hydroxyl Radicals in Blood Serum, Extending Water Findings
Updated
Updated · New Scientist · Oct 14
Microplastics Spawn Hydroxyl Radicals in Blood Serum, Extending Water Findings
3 articles · Updated · New Scientist · Oct 14
Summary
Blood-serum tests showed microplastics still generated detectable hydroxyl radicals in the lab, extending earlier evidence that plastic-water contact can create harmful reactive oxygen species.
Wei Min's team traced the effect to electric charges at the plastic-water interface, where water helps strip electrons from OH- ions and produces volatile radicals on particle surfaces.
DNA, proteins and red blood cells were drawn to those charged surfaces in water experiments and appeared damaged, offering a possible mechanism behind reported links to inflammation, cognition problems and cardiovascular disease.
Surface area appears central: breaking a 0.5-centimeter plastic ball into 50-nanometer particles could raise surface area 100,000-fold, though experts said body surfactants may dampen radical formation and real-world risk remains unclear.
The study also found more hydrophobic plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene were more active than PET, a result researchers said could guide safer material design even as health effects in humans remain unquantified.