VERONA (ITALPRESS) – The Planetary Health Festival, an event that intertwines the fate of our planet’s health with the well-being of the world’s population, comes to life in Verona. Scheduled for Oct. 3-5, the festival offers a vibrant stage of lectures, workshops and interactive activities, bringing together experts, activists and citizens to address global challenges related to climate change, biodiversity and public health. This event is a call for reflection and action, proposing innovative solutions for a sustainable future and improving the quality of life for all.At the festival, a panel was held dedicated to a topic of growing global relevance: the invisible impact of micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) on human health. During the meeting, the study entitled “All the Plastic We Don’t See – Report on the Presence of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Body,” commissioned by VERA Studio to a team of experts from the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,” was presented. Specifically, the research team is composed of Professor Raffaele Marfella, from the Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, Professor Pasquale Iovino, from the Department of Biological and Pharmaceutical Environmental Sciences and Technologies, and Francesco Prattichizzo, from RCCS MultiMedica, Polo Scientifico e Tecnologico di Milano.The research aims to fill a significant gap in the scientific literature: the absence of a meta-analysis documenting the accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in human organs. Micro- and nanoplastics, invisible particles resulting from the fragmentation of plastic materials, are now widespread in our environment and present in many everyday products. The study points out that major sources of exposure include drinking water, both bottled and tap, various foods such as salt, honey, meat and vegetables, and beverages such as milk and wine. The use of plastic containers to store and heat food also contributes to the release of billions of plastic particles, as do synthetic textiles, which release microfibers during washing, and personal care products that contain plastic microbeads.The highest concentrations of MNP were found in vital organs such as the brain, placenta, and cardiovascular tree. For example, in the brain, the levels of MNP found corresponded to the equivalent of one-third of a 1.5-liter plastic water bottle in a brain of average adult weight. “This report is important because it encapsulates, for the first time, the results of all internationally published research. It is clear in the survey that the amounts of micro- and nanoplastics in many organs of the human body are significant, even in the brain. In some cases, the incidence of these substances in heart disease, stroke and even Alzheimer’s has also been demonstrated. As researchers we will continue to investigate, but it seems to me that it is necessary that the topic of plastics in the coming years becomes central also for the Ministry of Health and not only for the Ministry of the Environment,” says Professor Raffaele Marfella of the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli.”
– Photo Graphic processed by VERA Studio –
(ITALPRESS).
