A new global study providing the first real evidence that microplastics are now inside humans raises grave concerns about the health implications.

This is according to Bluewater, a world leader in water purification technology and solutions.

The study, which was carried out by researchers from the Medical University of Vienna and the Environment Agency Austria, monitored a group of participants from countries including Finland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the UK and Austria.

Anders Jacobson, President of Bluewater notes that everyone who was monitored by the study research team had produced stool samples testing positive for the presence of microplastics.

“It’s no secret that microplastics have entered both the human food and water chains. But their detection now in human beings around the world is deeply concerning and demands urgent research to understand the human health implications,” he notes.

The Austrian Environment Agency used a new analytical procedure to test the stools for ten types of plastic. They discovered up to nine different sized up to 500 micrometers with the most common being polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

“Plastics touch humans every day in multiple ways but we haven’t a clue what the long-term health consequences will be from consuming microplastics that will enter our bloodstream, lymphatic system and liver. We owe it to future generations to find out what that exposure means,” Jacobson notes.