Researchers at Bond University (Australia) questioned the link between microplastics and bladder cancer after finding numerous particles in the urinary tract of several patients. Their study, published this summer in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
Analyzing six previous studies, they found microplastics in 54% of urine samples, 70% of kidney samples and 68% of bladder cancer cases. However, the cause and effect link remained to be proven.
The researchers then reviewed a dozen studies on the effects of plastic particles on the urinary tract, demonstrating their toxicity, ability to cause inflammation and reduce cell lifespan. Other disturbances were also observed.
Australian researchers are therefore warning of the potential role of microplastics in cancers and calling for limiting this pollution which also affects the brain, the placenta and testicular tissues. They believe their study contradicts the World Health Organization (WHO), which in 2019 said there was no data to suggest health problems linked to exposure to microplastics through drinking water.
 Sophie de Duiéry
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14/10/2024 | 
