A New Threat Found Inside Our Bones

Many have accepted the fact that microplastics have completely permeated Earth's environment and our own bodies, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest parts of the ocean to even inside our own brains.

However, a meta-analysis of existing research has found yet another cause for concern: Microplastics inside our bones.

The authors of the meta-analysis reviewed currently available research into the impacts of microplastics on human bones. What they discovered has been hugely alarming.

"Improving quality of life and reducing the risk of bone complications, such as fractures, is a priority in healthcare," explained Rodrigo Bueno de Oliveira, one of the authors of the meta-analysis, according to Science Daily. "We already know that practices such as physical exercise, a balanced diet, and pharmacological treatments contribute significantly to this."

"However, although osteometabolic diseases are relatively well understood, there's a gap in our knowledge regarding the influence of microplastics on the development of these diseases," he continued.

While advocating for further investigation into the causal link between microplastics and bone disease, what Oliveira and his co-authors revealed about what we already know has been enough to set off alarm bells among the medical community.

According to the meta-analysis, microplastics "were recently detected in human bone tissue." These microplastics have already been shown to affect cell viability, modify gene expression, and trigger inflammatory responses.

While it is widely known that bones provide vital support and structure for the human body, bones and bone marrow also play other essential roles in maintaining human and animal health.

"Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside of bone cavities," according to the Cleveland Clinic. "Components of your blood including red and white blood cells and platelets form inside your bone marrow."

The blood-cell-creating functions of bone marrow are essential to the body's ability to survive. Red blood cells carry vital oxygen to the body's cells, while white blood cells fight off infection and disease, per the Cleveland Clinic.