Microplastics derived from starch could be harmful to health

2025/04/10 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

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Microplastics produced from biodegradable starch-based plastics have been found in one experiment to affect the health of mice. Researchers warn that it is imperative to better investigate the safety of bioplastics before their use continues to increase, especially in food packaging.

The need to solve the problem of microplastics has been made clear by the thousands of studies that have been carried out over the last twenty years. They have been found in various tissues and organs of animals and humans, as well as in the brain. And more and more studies suggest health damage. In the belief that this may be a good solution to the problem, there is a growing preference for biodegradable bioplastics. Most of them are starch-based. But microplastics are also produced from them, and their potential impact on health remains largely unexplored.

In this study, three groups of five mice were compared: one group ate normal food and the other two groups ate foods contaminated with microplastics derived from starch at low and high doses. The doses were calculated from the average daily intake of humans. At three months, the animals' organ tissues, metabolic functions and intestinal microbiota diversity were evaluated.

Thus, various damages were detected in mice that were exposed to starch-based microplastics. On the one hand, they were observed to infiltrate and cause lesions in the liver, intestines and ovaries. On the other hand, it affected the regulation of blood glucose levels and lipid metabolism; glucose levels increased, significant abnormalities in triglycerides were found, and oxidative stress in the liver also increased. And finally, imbalances in intestinal microbiota and circadian rhythms were detected.

The researchers recognize that, as one of the first studies with this type of microplastics, more research is needed to understand how these biodegradable particles degrade in the body.