The scourge of plastic pollution has spread to the human gut, with researchers finding small “microplastic” particles in the digestive systems of people across the globe.
Nine of the ten most common types of plastics were discovered in stool samples from individuals from eight countries, including Britain.
The findings prompted calls for research into whether microplastics — particles less than 5mm long — are absorbed by the body, and their effects, which are yet to be studied in depth.
“This confirms what we have long suspected, that plastics ultimately reach the human gut,” Philipp Schwabl, of the Medical University of Vienna, who led the study, said.
Studies on animals have suggested that particles are capable of entering the blood stream, the lymphatic system and may
