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<TITLE>Plastic nanoparticles can move through the food chain, penetrate the blood–brain barrier and damage the neural tissue of humans</TITLE>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><FONT SIZE=5 FACE="Arial">Who cares about the world's oceans? Too few, and almost no-one in health. This indifference is shocking and dangerous</FONT></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Richard Horton</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">October 06, 2018</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">DOI:<A HREF="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32461-9">https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32461-9</A></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial"><A HREF="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32461-9/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email">https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32461-9/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email</A></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Geir Wing Gabrielsen leads ecotoxicology research at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Troms©ª, in the northernmost part of the country. His main concern is the pollution of one of the world's most important and neglected environments—our oceans. His specific focus is plastic. In 2016, the world produced 325 million tonnes of plastic, a figure that is growing by 4% annually. 40% of the plastic we make is used just once. By 2050, the expected production of plastic will have reached 1124 million tonnes. 8–10 million tonnes enter the oceans annually—by 2050, the total mass of ocean plastic will exceed that of fish. In 1976, on average, each person used 2 kg of plastic annually. By 2017, that figure had risen to 43 kg. Every minute, human beings use 2 million plastic bags and 1 million plastic bottles. Only 14% of these plastics are recycled effectively. The main categories of plastic pollutants are polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polyurethane. A vast gap exists between the plastics produced and those recovered. The main effort to reduce environmental plastic contamination is landfill. Yet a third of all plastics still remain in the environment—most plastics are non-biodegradable—with the oceans being their principal dustbin. You might think that ocean plastic pollution is a small problem. When you look at the seas, their shores and beaches, little plastic is evident—a few discarded plastic bottles and containers, at most. But of the total quantifiable marine plastic pollution, only 1% is floating on the sea surface and 5% is washed up on beaches. The remaining 94% sits on the sea floor. The effects on life are devastating. Sea birds die with their intestines full and obstructed with plastic detritus. Marine and terrestrial mammals, fish, and marine invertebrates are all fatally affected. Gabrielsen's research</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial Greek"> shows that 93% of northern fulmars (a sea bird found in the Arctic) have an average of 32 pieces of plastic in their stomachs. A particular concern are micro (<5 mm) and nano (<1 ¥ìm) plastics. In 1983, 29% of fulmars had microplastics in their stomachs. B</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">y 2013, that figure had risen to 88%. Plastic is a cruel pollutant. It plays tricks on its victims. Plastics can become coated with an attractively nutritious biofilm of marine microbes, tempting ingestion. Microplastics produce dimethyl sulfide, an odorant (or scent) that encourages consumption. Plastic pollution is ubiquitous and deadly. All very well, but what has this to do with human health? A signal of possibility—and urgency—was published last year in Scientific Reports. Karin Mattsson and colleagues found that plastic (polystyrene) nanoparticles reduced the survival of zooplankton and penetrated the blood–brain barrier of the fish that consume them. These fish exhibited severe behavioural disturbances. The conclusion is menacing. Plastic nanoparticles can move through the food chain and enter and damage the neural tissue of consumers. As Mattsson et al conclude, ¡°our results may have implications for human wellbeing¡±.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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