Microplastics found in human stool samples: Study

VIENNA — A new study has found small pieces of plastic, ranging from 50 to 500 micrometers in size, present in human stool samples.

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna tested fecal samples from eight different participants aged 33 to 65.

The participants came from Japan, Russia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Finland and Austria. The scientists found that all eight stool samples tested positive for microplastics.

They identified nine different plastic types in the samples, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate being the most common type of plastic. On average, the samples contained 20 microplastic particles for every 10 grams of human stool.

The participants' food diaries have shown that all of them could have been exposed to plastic via food wrappers and plastic bottles. Six of the eight participants had also consumed fish from the ocean.

The researchers noted that the study had its limitations with only eight participants and eight samples. The study concluded that further research is needed to find out the impact of microplastics on human health.