Tiny Plastic Troubles: Hidden Nanoplastics in Hospital IVs

Plastic particles, too small to see, might be sneaking into hospital IVs. These tiny bits, called nanoplastics, come from the plastic bags and tubes used for infusions. Scientists have known about bigger plastic bits in IVs, but these nanoplastics are a newer concern. They are hard to detect and measure accurately.

Study Reveals Nanoplastics in IV Bags and Tubes

A recent study looked at three different brands of IV bags and tubes from hospitals. They used special tools to find and count these nanoplastics:

• Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)
• Dark-field microscopy

These tools helped them see different types of nanoplastics, like:

• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Others

High Levels of Nanoplastics Detected

The study found a lot of different nanoplastics in the IV bags and tubes:

• PP nanoplastics: Ranged from 7,436.8 to 16,439.3 particles per bag
• PVC nanoplastics: Ranged from 3,914.1 to 7,045.4 particles per tube

Other types of nanoplastics were also found, but in smaller amounts.

Why This Matters

This is a big deal because no one has reported such a wide variety of nanoplastics in IVs before. It raises questions about how these tiny plastic bits might affect patients. More research is needed to understand the risks and how to prevent nanoplastics from getting into IVs.

The study shows that nanoplastics in IVs are a real issue. It highlights the need for better detection methods and more research. Hospitals and manufacturers need to pay attention to this problem. Patients should also be aware of the potential risks.