England – A team of scientists found that plastics used to make furniture, electronics, and household insulation contain toxic chemicals that are easily absorbed by human skin.
University of Birmingham scientists have shown that toxic chemicals used to make laptops, child seats and smartphones can easily pass through human skin and seep into the bloodstream.
These substances can interfere with thyroid function, cognitive development, motor skills, and ovarian function, and may also increase the risk of cancer.
The scientists tested how commonly used flame retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are absorbed into the skin, using simulated skin 3D printed from human skin cells.
They moisturized the skin and exposed it to two different types of microplastics for 24 hours. Research has shown that skin moisture affects how these chemicals are absorbed.
The team found that the skin absorbs regarding 8% of the PBDEs found in microplastics.
“Microplastics are everywhere in the environment, yet we still know relatively little regarding the health problems they can cause,” said the study’s first author, Dr. Ofokroe Abafi. “Our study shows that they play a role as ‘carriers’ for harmful chemicals, which can reach the bloodstream through the skin.”
In fact, many concerns regarding PBDEs arose in the early 2000s, when a study showed that breast milk contained some harmful substances.
A study conducted in 2018 discovered chemicals in fish in the United States and the United Kingdom. A study published earlier this month also found that people with higher levels of PBDEs in their blood had an increased risk of dying from cancer.
Source: Daily Mail
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2024-04-26 07:32:45
