A postmortem case series identified synthetic polymer particles and fibers in olfactory bulb tissue using microFTIR.
Source details
Luís Fernando Amato-Lourenço, Katia Cristina Dantas, Gabriel Ribeiro Júnior, Vitor Ribeiro Paes, Rômulo Augusto Ando, Raul de Oliveira Freitas, Ohanna Maria Menezes M. da Costa, Renata S. Rabelo, Kelly Cristina Soares Bispo, Regiani Carvalho-Oliveira, Thais Mauad. JAMA Network Open. 2024.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.40018
Findings
A postmortem case series identified synthetic polymer particles and fibers in olfactory bulb tissue using microFTIR.
- 8 of 15 decedents with identified particles or fibers; São Paulo postmortem olfactory bulb case series.
- 16 identified synthetic polymer particles and fibers; Direct cryosections and digested olfactory bulb filters.
- 5.5-26.4 µm particle lengths; Nonfiber objects measured from microphotographs; fibers separately reported.
Methods and scope
Direct cryosections and enzyme-digested tissue filters examined with microFTIR and library matching; plastic-minimizing handling, procedural/negative controls and stillbirth control tissue. No synthetic polymers reported in procedural or negative-control filters. Recovery testing was not feasible.
What this source can support
Supports tissue-specific detection in the studied decedents.
Small selected postmortem sample; incomplete digested-tissue availability; tissue matrix can confound spectra; nanoplastics were not detectable. Entry route, product source, cumulative body burden and disease causation were not established.
Related evidence
Reported values and source locations
| Reported value | Measurement basis | Conditions and size context | Original document location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 of 15 decedents with identified particles or fibers | sample occurrence; not population prevalence | São Paulo postmortem olfactory bulb case series Particle lengths 5.5-26.4 µm; fiber lengths 19.0-24.5 µm | PDF p. 4 Results |
| 16 identified synthetic polymer particles and fibers | total detected objects across analyzed specimens | Direct cryosections and digested olfactory bulb filters Particle lengths 5.5-26.4 µm; fiber lengths 19.0-24.5 µm | PDF p. 4 Results |
| 5.5-26.4 µm particle lengths | observed length range for nonfiber objects | Nonfiber objects measured from microphotographs; fibers separately reported Particle lengths; not widths or a validated detection interval | PDF p. 4 Results; p. 7 Table 2 |
Source provenance
Primary PDF SHA-256: d78cd56bfc44afaf13cf730b5fd79ccbb70a058ad23492a13c4cb0a80057b45a
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