Publications and studies worth knowing

Microplastics in the brain

Microplastics like polystyrene can break through the blood-brain barrier. In the brain, polystyrene particles caused brain cell death in mice. Polystyrene (PS) is found in packaging, as a building material and, until recently, as take-away containers.

Microplastics in breast milk

An Italian research team examined the breast milk of 34 healthy mothers after birth. They found microplastic particles in the breast milk of 26 women.

^{Bibliography:}

^{Wei, X., Richaud, E. & Booth, A. M. (2022). Raman Microspectroscopy Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Human Breastmilk. Polymers, 14(13), 2700. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132700}

Microplastics in the blood

Dutch scientists have detected microplastics in human blood. Among other things, particles of so-called PET plastic, which is used worldwide for beverage bottles, were found.

^{Bibliography:}

^{Leslie, H. A., van Velzen, M. J. M., Brandsma, S. H., Vethaak, A. D., Garcia-Vallejo J. J. & Lamoree, M. H. (2022). Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environment International, 163, 2022,107199, ISSN 0160-4120.}

Additives in plastics (additives)

Researchers at the University of Zurich identified approximately 10,500 additives that determine the properties of plastics used for packaging, food safety, textiles, household and medical items. Some of these are substances that can be toxic to aquatic life, possibly cause cancer or damage organs. Half of these chemicals are produced in the EU and the USA.

^{Bibliography:
Wiesinger, H., Wang, Z., & Hellweg, S. (2021). Deep Dive into Plastic Monomers, Additives, and Processing aids. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c000976}

Microplastic Study San Francisco

A study from San Francisco (2021) detected industrial chemicals in the blood of newborns and their mothers and was thus able to show that very small chemical particles, so-called nanoparticles, can cross the placenta. 28 substances were clearly attributable to the cosmetics sector.

^{Bibliography:
Wang, A., Abrahamsson, D. P., Jiang T., Wang, M., Morello-Frosch, R., Park, J.-S., Sirota, M., & Woodruff, T. J. (2021). Environmental Science & Technology 2021 55 (8), 5037-5049. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c05984.}

How to make the transition to a circular economy - Plastics in Germany

With this study (2021), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows how the plastic packaging turnaround and its conversion into a circular economy can succeed.

Plastic Atlas

This illustrative publication by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in cooperation with BUND e.V. (2019) provides an overview with figures, data and facts about the global plastic problem.

Fraunhofer Umsicht Study Microplastics in Cosmetics

In this 2018 study, the Fraunhofer Institute compiled knowledge on microplastics.

Microplastics in testicles and spermPolystyrene (e.g. insulation material), polyethylene (packaging of cosmetics) and PVC (e.g. floor coverings, plastic windows) were found to be the predominant microplastics in testicles and sperm.

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