Raman Microspectroscopy Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Human Breastmilk

🤖 Plain-English Summary

The widespread use of plastics determines the inevitable human exposure to its by-products, including microplastics (MPs), which enter the human organism mainly by ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. The most abundant MPs were composed of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene, with sizes ranging from 2 to 12 µm.

🔑 Key Findings

• Once internalised, MPs may pass across cell membranes and translocate to different body sites, triggering specific cellular mechanisms.
• Hence, the potential health impairment caused by the internalisation and accumulation of MPs is of prime concern, as confirmed by numerous studies reporting evident toxic effects in various animal models, marine organisms, and human cell lines.
• In this pilot single-centre observational prospective study, human breastmilk samples collected from N.

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