Microplastics in small bowel tissue
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Microplastics in small bowel tissue
IRAS ID
245636
Contact name
Jon Salisbury
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Microscopic plastic – microplastics – are a contaminant of increasing concern. Whilst predominantly recognised as an ecological issue, their presence in foods destined for human consumption has prompted concern regarding their potential health impacts. Most recently, microplastic contamination of bottled water has been reported and the WHO are to begin reviewing plastics and health.
A key knowledge gap is whether microplastics have the capacity to accumulate beyond the point of entry i.e. in the gut following ingestion. Specialised regions of the gut – the Peyer’s patches – host M-cells, which specialise in particle uptake, whilst persorption (the mechanical translocation of non-digestible particles up to 130 µm across the epithelium) can also occur along the small intestine. If microplastic uptake across the gut were to occur, the ileum is a likely target to begin assessment.
Initially, 100 normal ileal (small bowel) biopsies will be screened for the presence of potential microplastics using polarised light microscopy. Briefly, sections will be systematically (following a z-pattern) observed and the estimated size, shape and location of observed particles will be recorded, along with any observational notes. Depending on the results, methods to confirm the chemical composition of the identified particles will be developed. Future work to broaden the screen to assess potential microplastics uptake in other target tissues, such as lymph nodes.REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0186
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion