90% of Prostate Cancer Tumors Contained Microplastics
A new study reports that tiny plastic particles were present in nine out of 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Researchers also found that these fragments appeared in greater amounts inside cancerous tumors than in nearby noncancerous prostate tissue. The investigation was conducted at NYU Langone Health, including its Perlmutter Cancer Center and Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards. Scientists set out to examine whether exposure to microplastics could play a role in the development of prostate cancer, which the American Cancer Society identifies as the most common cancer affecting American men. How Microplastics Enter the Body Plastic used in food containers, packaging, cosmetics, and other everyday products can break down into microscopic pieces when heated, worn down, or chemically altered. These particles can be swallowed, inhaled from the air, or absorbed through the skin. Previous research has detected microplastics throughout the human body, including in ma...
