Two new studies have described the ways in which tiny microplastics can end up in humans’ organs – and even in the brains of mice.

One of the studies, published in Environmental Health Perspectives on Apr. 10., involved feeding healthy mice microplastics over a period of four to eight weeks. Scientists later found that various organs in the mice were contaminated.

“In mice that ingested microspheres, we detected polystyrene microspheres in distant tissues including the brain, liver, and kidney,” the study’s results section reads.

“Additionally, we report on the metabolic differences that occurred in the colon, liver, and brain, which showed differential responses that were dependent on concentration and type of microsphere exposure.”

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Another study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials on Apr. 5 experimented on both humans and mice. Researchers found that patients under 50 years old had significantly higher toxic substances in their gallstones – which are hardened pieces of excess bile in the gallbladder. After being fed microplastics, the gallstones of the mice in the study had formed at a faster rate. 

“Our study revealed the presence of microplastics in human gallstones, showcasing their potential to aggravate chololithiasis by forming large cholesterol-microplastic heteroaggregates and altering the gut microbiota,” the paper stated.

The impacts of microplastics on humans is being investigated, and has caused widespread concern – especially because most Americans have been exposed to them their entire lives. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat told Fox News Digital that microplastics “are everywhere.”

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Many medical professionals are concerned about the impact microplastic ingestion has on humans. (iStock)

“We are consuming them unknowingly at unprecedented levels, ingesting them and inhaling them,” she explained. “Microplastics, especially at high levels, cause inflammation in the body.”

“Any foreign body such as a microplastic can cause irritation and inflammation in the body which can accumulate, disrupt normal cell function, and lead to an increase in organ injury.”

Nesheiwat said that microplastics have distinctly harmful effects depending on which organ they find their way to. To lower one’s microplastic intake, she recommends choosing glass over plastic products and choosing foods with lower microplastic contamination.

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A biologist looks at microplastics found in sea species at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research near Athens, on November 26, 2019. (LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP via Getty Images)

“Microplastics can affect the liver by causing stress and inflammation and impairing liver function,” she said. “In the brain, it causes neuroinflammation and disrupts brain signaling.”

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel, however, told Fox News Digital that the impacts of microplastics on humans are still unknown.

“Though we need to track this, there is still no direct evidence that microplastics in cells lead to untoward health outcomes,” he explained. “This may be proven wrong as more accumulate, and I am certainly concerned about cancer risks from chemical spills or in contaminated water or areas where waste was poorly stored in the environment.”

Mice were tested in the recent scientific studies about the impact of microplastics on health. (iStock)

“At the same time, the greatest health risks still come from sedentary behavior, obesity, untreated high blood pressure, poor sleep and little exercise,” he added.

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The risk of having potentially harmful chemicals in your drinking water may depend on your zip code.

A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience on April 8 found that higher amounts of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) were found in drinking water in certain parts of the U.S.

PFAS — also known as “forever chemicals” due to how slowly they break down — are a group of chemicals used during industrial processes and the manufacturing of consumer products. 

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Two of the main chemicals are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).

There are many ways people can be exposed to these chemicals — including in drinking water.

To determine the prevalence of PFAS in the environment, researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney analyzed a global dataset of 273 studies dating back to 2004.

The studies included data for over 12,000 samples of surface water (water that collects on the ground) and more than 33,900 samples of groundwater (water found underground, below the surface).

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“We looked everywhere for PFAS concentrations in water data, including scientific journals and governmental reports and websites,” Denis O’Carroll, a UNSW engineering professor and senior author of the study, told Fox News Digital.  

“We compared PFAS concentrations in these water samples to international regulations. We also compared the types of PFAS analyzed to what we found in consumer products.”

The studies included data for over 12,000 samples of surface water (water that collects on the ground) and more than 33,900 samples of groundwater (water found underground, below the surface). (iStock)

Nearly 70% of the samples had levels of PFAS that exceeded Canada’s minimum safety standards (30 nanograms per liter), while 6% had more chemicals than the European Union’s standard (100 ng per liter), according to the study findings.

In the U.S., PFAS “hot spots” were concentrated in the Midwest, New England and the West Coast, according to a map illustrating the findings — although the chemicals were also detected in other areas across the country.

Globally, Australia, Europe and China showed high levels.

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“To date, nobody has looked at the global extent of PFAS in our waters and compared it to international drinking water standards,” noted O’Carroll. 

“Our study found that a substantial fraction of sampled waters exceeded PFAS drinking water guidance values, with the extent of exceedance depending on the jurisdiction and PFAS source.”

Health risks of PFAS

Dr. Mark Fischer, regional medical director of International SOS, a health and security risk mitigation company headquartered in London, pointed out that most Americans also have these chemicals in their blood. 

“Although the use of these chemicals has declined in recent years, they are difficult to break down, so they are still found in some food, water and consumer products, as well as within the soil and the environment,” Fischer, who was not involved in the UNSW study, told Fox News Digital.

Health risks associated with PFAS include cancers, elevated liver enzymes, lower birth weight, heart issues and higher cholesterol. (iStock)

Most people in the U.S. have been exposed to these chemicals, most likely through contaminated food or their drinking water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Health risks associated with PFAS include cancers, elevated liver enzymes, lower birth weight and higher cholesterol, Fischer said. 

“PFAS contamination has been identified in drinking water in all 50 states.”

Other potential dangers include heart issues, plus immune and developmental damage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“PFAS contamination has been identified in drinking water in all 50 states, according to the Environmental Working Group,” Fischer said. 

“That said, the levels of these chemicals vary throughout states and cities.”

Study limitations

The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged. 

“We have measured a much wider range of PFAS in consumer products than in our waters,” said O’Carroll. 

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“As such, we don’t really have a great idea of the range of PFAS in our waters.”

The data was also limited to what the researchers could find, he noted.

“Just because we can cheaply use a chemical doesn’t mean we should.”

“While we had data for over 45,000 water samples, even more data would be useful, especially for parts of the world where we had limited data.”

The actual amount of PFAS in water could be higher than what the study results imply, O’Carroll added.

Most people in the U.S. have been exposed to PFA chemicals, most likely through contaminated food or their drinking water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  (iStock)

“Current monitoring practices probably underestimate PFAS in the environment, given the limited suite of PFAS that are typically quantified but deemed of regulatory concern,” he said.

These are just one of the many types of chemicals that are used in daily life, O’Carroll noted.

“As a society, we need to consider the chemicals we use and reduce our use of some,” he advised. 

“Just because we can cheaply use a chemical doesn’t mean we should.”

Latest PFAS regulations

On April 10, the EPA finalized new limits on the amount of PFAS permitted in drinking water.

The new standards could reduce exposure for 100 million people, potentially preventing thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of serious illnesses, the agency said in a news release.

On April 10, the EPA finalized new limits on the amount of PFAS permitted in drinking water. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

This is the “first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard” to protect people from the health risks of PFAS, the agency stated.

The 66,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. will have three years to reduce PFAS levels to meet the new standards, according to the release.

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The EPA also announced $1 billion in new funding, provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to enable PFAS testing and treatment of public water systems and private wells.

Fox News Digital reached out to the EPA and the American Water Works Association for comment.

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