Skip to main content

Microplastics Found in Filtered Solutions Used for Medical IV Infusions

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 21, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, March 21, 2025 -- Microplastics appear to be present in filtered solutions used for medical intravenous infusions, with about 7,500 particles/L found in infusion solutions from polypropylene (PP) bottles filtered to limit particle contamination, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Environment & Health.

Noting that intravenous infusion of microplastic particles (MPs) usually proceeds from plastic bottles, many of which are made of PP and are filtered to limit particle contamination, Tingting Huang, from Fudan University in Shanghai, and colleagues examined the MP content of filtrates using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy combined with scanning electron microscopy.

The researchers found that the number of PP particles in infusion solutions from PP bottles after filtering was significant (about 7,500 particles/L). The sizes of MPs ranged from 1 to 62 µm, with a median of about 8.5 µm. About 90 percent of particles ranged from 1 to 20 µm in size; about 60 percent ranged from 1 to 10 µm.

"Future research should focus on more direct toxicological studies to comprehensively assess the potential toxicity of MPs and their associated health risks," the authors write. "These findings will provide a scientific basis for formulating appropriate policies and measures to mitigate the potential threats posed by MPs to human health."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

2015 to 2021 Saw Decrease in Incidence of Dementia

FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- From 2015 to 2021, there was a decrease in the incidence of dementia, but an increase in prevalence, according to a study published online May 20 in The...

Swept-Source Anterior Segment OCT Can Help Distinguish Early Childhood Glaucoma

FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- The noninvasive swept-source anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (SS-ASOCT) can diagnose early-onset childhood glaucoma, according to a study...

Semaglutide Plus Intensive Behavioral Therapy Most Beneficial for Weight Loss

FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- Weight loss treatment combining personalized semaglutide with intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) yields weight loss similar to that reported in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.