Medical infusion bags can release microplastics, study shows

Microplastics have been found almost everywhere that scientists have looked for them. Now, according to research published in the ACS partner journal Environment & Health, these bits of plastic — from 1 to 62 micrometers long — are present in the filtered solutions used for medical intravenous (IV) infusions. The researchers estimate that thousands of plastic particles could be delivered directly to a person’s bloodstream from a single 8.4-ounce (250-milliliter) bag of infusion fluid.

In clinical settings, IV infusions are packaged in individual plastic pouches and deliver water, electrolytes, nutrients or medicine to patients. The base of these infusions is a saline solution that contains filtered water and enough salt to match the content of human blood. Research from the 1970s suggests IV fluid bags can contain solid particles, but few scientists have followed up on what those particles are made of. Liwu Zhang, Ventsislav Kolev Valev and colleagues suspected that these particles could be microplastics that, upon infusion, would enter the recipient’s bloodstream and potentially cause negative health effects. So, they set out to analyze the types and amounts of particles in commercial IV fluid bags.

The team purchased two different brands of 8.4-ounce bags of IV saline solution. After the contents of each bag dripped into separate glass containers, the liquids were filtered to catch microscopic particles. Then the researchers counted a portion of the individual plastic fragments, using that amount to estimate the total number of microplastics in the entire pouch of IV liquid and to analyze the composition of the particles.

The researchers discovered that both brands of saline contained microplastic particles made from polypropylene — the same material as the bags — which suggests that the bags shed microplastics into the solutions. And they estimated that each bag of infusion fluid could deliver about 7,500 microplastics directly into the bloodstream. This figure rises to about 25,000 particles to treat dehydration or 52,500 for abdominal surgery, which can require multiple IV bags.

The researchers recommend keeping IV infusion bags away from ultraviolet light and heat to reduce microplastic shedding, and they say that micrometer-level filtration systems could be used to remove the particles during infusion.

While there are no clinical studies to date that have assessed the health risks of microplastics exposure, the researchers say their findings will help “provide a scientific basis for formulating appropriate policies and measures to mitigate the potential threats posed by microplastics to human health.”   

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

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