A Silent Invasion Inside Our Bodies | 悄无声息的入侵

【English】

In 2022, researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam made a startling announcement: they had detected microplastic particles in human blood for the first time. Published in the journal Environment International, the study analyzed blood samples from 22 healthy adult volunteers and found plastic particles in nearly 80 percent of them. The most common types detected were PET (used in plastic bottles), polystyrene (found in food packaging), and polyethylene (the world's most widely produced plastic). This discovery sent shockwaves through the scientific community and raised urgent questions about what decades of plastic exposure are doing inside our bodies. Scientists had long suspected that microplastics—fragments smaller than five millimeters—could penetrate biological barriers, but actual evidence within the bloodstream was a watershed moment.

【中文翻译】

2022年，阿姆斯特丹自由大学的研究人员宣布了一个令人震惊的消息：他们首次在人类血液中检测到了微塑料颗粒。该研究发表在《国际环境》杂志上，分析了22名健康成年志愿者的血液样本，发现近80%的样本中含有塑料颗粒。检测到的最常见类型包括PET（用于塑料瓶）、聚苯乙烯（存在于食品包装中）和聚乙烯（全球产量最大的塑料）。这一发现震惊了科学界，并引发了人们对数十年塑料暴露对人体内部影响的紧迫疑问。科学家们长期以来一直怀疑微塑料——小于五毫米的碎片——能够穿透生物屏障，但在血液中发现实际证据是一个里程碑式的时刻。

How Do Microplastics Enter Our Blood? | 微塑料如何进入血液？

【English】

Scientists have identified several pathways through which microplastics reach the human bloodstream. Inhalation is a major route: tiny plastic fibers shed from synthetic clothing, car tires, and building materials float in indoor and outdoor air. When we breathe them in, they can cross the delicate lining of the lungs and enter circulation. Ingestion is another significant source. Microplastics have been found in drinking water, seafood, table salt, beer, and even fresh produce. Once swallowed, some particles may pass through the intestinal wall via specialized cells called M-cells in Peyer's patches, which normally sample gut contents for immune surveillance. Additionally, dermal absorption through skin—particularly from cosmetics containing microbeads—represents a smaller but growing concern. The cumulative effect of these multiple exposure routes means that virtually no human on Earth is untouched.

【中文翻译】

科学家已经确定了微塑料进入人体血液的几种途径。吸入是主要途径之一：从合成衣物、汽车轮胎和建筑材料上脱落的微小塑料纤维漂浮在室内外空气中。当我们吸入它们时，它们可以穿过肺部的精细内壁进入血液循环。摄入是另一个重要来源。微塑料已在饮用水、海鲜、食盐、啤酒甚至新鲜农产品中被发现。一旦被吞咽，部分颗粒可能通过肠道壁上的特殊细胞——派尔集合淋巴结中的M细胞——穿过肠壁，这些细胞通常负责对肠道内容物进行免疫监视。此外，通过皮肤吸收——尤其是含有微珠的化妆品——虽然占比较小，但日益受到关注。这些多重暴露途径的累积效应意味着，地球上几乎没有人能够幸免。

What Does the Latest Research Show? | 最新研究发现了什么？

【English】

Since the groundbreaking 2022 study, research has accelerated dramatically. A 2024 study published in Toxicological Sciences detected microplastics in every human placenta examined, raising concerns about fetal exposure during pregnancy. Researchers at the University of Naples found that patients with arterial blockages who had detectable levels of microplastics in their carotid artery plaques were 4.5 times more likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes over a 34-month follow-up period. Meanwhile, laboratory studies suggest that microplastics can trigger inflammatory responses, generate reactive oxygen species, and disrupt endocrine signaling by leaching chemicals like bisphenol A and phthalates. Some research also indicates that nanoplastics—particles smaller than one micrometer—may be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, a finding that has profound implications for neurological health.

【中文翻译】

自2022年那项开创性研究以来，相关研究急剧加速。2024年发表在《毒理学科学》杂志上的一项研究在检查的每一个人类胎盘中都检测到了微塑料，引发了对胎儿在孕期暴露的担忧。那不勒斯大学的研究人员发现，在34个月的随访期间，颈动脉斑块中可检测到微塑料水平的动脉阻塞患者，心脏病发作或中风的可能性是其他人的4.5倍。与此同时，实验室研究表明，微塑料可以引发炎症反应、产生活性氧，并通过浸出双酚A和邻苯二甲酸酯等化学物质干扰内分泌信号。一些研究还表明，纳米塑料——小于一微米的颗粒——可能能够穿过血脑屏障，这一发现对神经健康具有深远影响。

The Scale of the Problem | 问题的严重程度

【English】

The scale of plastic pollution that fuels this crisis is staggering. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), global plastic production reached 460 million metric tons in 2023, double the amount produced in 2000. Only about nine percent of all plastic ever made has been recycled. The rest has been incinerated, buried in landfills, or released into the environment. An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year, where UV radiation and wave action break it into ever-smaller fragments. These particles infiltrate soil, freshwater systems, and the atmosphere. A 2024 study in Nature estimated that humans ingest approximately 50,000 microplastic particles per year through food alone—and inhale a comparable amount. The question is no longer whether microplastics are inside us, but what long-term consequences they carry.

【中文翻译】

推动这场危机的塑料污染规模令人震惊。根据经济合作与发展组织（OECD）的数据，2023年全球塑料产量达到4.6亿公吨，是2000年产量的两倍。历史上生产的塑料中只有约9%被回收利用。其余的被焚烧、填埋或释放到环境中。据估计，每年有1100万公吨塑料废物进入海洋，紫外线辐射和波浪作用将其分解成越来越小的碎片。这些颗粒渗透到土壤、淡水系统和大气中。2024年发表在《自然》杂志上的一项研究估计，人类仅通过食物每年就摄入约5万个微塑料颗粒——吸入的数量也相当。问题不再是微塑料是否存在于我们体内，而是它们会带来什么长期后果。

Can We Reduce Our Exposure? | 我们能减少暴露吗？

【English】

While eliminating microplastic exposure entirely is impossible in today's world, experts recommend several practical steps to reduce personal intake. Using glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic ones—especially for hot food and beverages—significantly reduces leaching. Avoiding single-use plastic water bottles and opting for filtered tap water can cut ingestion by a meaningful margin. Washing synthetic clothing less frequently and using microfiber-catching laundry bags can reduce airborne fiber release indoors. Choosing cosmetics free of microbeads and avoiding heating food in plastic containers in the microwave are additional protective measures. At the policy level, the United Nations is currently negotiating a global plastics treaty aimed at reducing production, improving waste management, and phasing out the most harmful plastic additives. However, experts warn that even aggressive policy action will take decades to meaningfully reduce the microplastic burden already embedded in the environment—and in our bodies.

【中文翻译】

虽然在当今世界完全消除微塑料暴露是不可能的，但专家建议采取几个实用步骤来减少个人摄入量。使用玻璃或不锈钢容器代替塑料容器——尤其是装热食和热饮时——可以显著减少化学物质浸出。避免使用一次性塑料水瓶，选择过滤自来水，可以大幅减少摄入。减少合成衣物的洗涤频率，使用捕获微纤维的洗衣袋，可以减少室内空气中纤维的释放。选择不含微珠的化妆品，避免在微波炉中用塑料容器加热食物，是额外的保护措施。在政策层面，联合国目前正在谈判一项全球塑料条约，旨在减少产量、改善废物管理，并逐步淘汰最有害的塑料添加剂。然而，专家警告说，即使采取积极的政策行动，也需要几十年才能显著减少已经嵌入环境——以及我们身体——中的微塑料负担。

What Lies Ahead | 未来展望

【English】

The discovery of microplastics in human blood has fundamentally changed how the scientific community views plastic pollution—it is no longer solely an environmental issue but a direct public health concern. Current research priorities include developing standardized methods for measuring microplastic concentrations in human tissues, conducting large-scale epidemiological studies to establish dose-response relationships, and investigating whether the body can eventually excrete these particles or whether they accumulate over a lifetime. Some researchers are exploring innovative solutions: enzymes that break down plastics, biodegradable material alternatives, and advanced filtration technologies for water and air. What remains clear is that this invisible contaminant represents one of the defining health challenges of our generation. The blood that courses through our veins now carries traces of the synthetic world we have built—and science is racing to understand what that means for our future.

【中文翻译】

人类血液中微塑料的发现从根本上改变了科学界对塑料污染的看法——它不再仅仅是环境问题，而是直接的公共健康问题。当前的研究重点包括：开发测量人体组织中微塑料浓度的标准化方法，开展大规模流行病学研究以建立剂量-反应关系，以及研究人体是否最终能排出这些颗粒，还是它们会在一生中不断累积。一些研究人员正在探索创新解决方案：分解塑料的酶、可生物降解的材料替代品，以及先进的水和空气过滤技术。有一点仍然很清楚：这种看不见的污染物是我们这一代人面临的重大健康挑战之一。流淌在我们血管中的血液，如今携带着我们所建造的合成世界的痕迹——而科学正在争分夺秒地理解这对我们的未来意味着什么。

【重点词汇】

• microplastic /ˈmaɪkroʊˌplæstɪk/ n. 微塑料 — Microplastics have been detected in human blood samples worldwide.
• bloodstream /ˈblʌdˌstriːm/ n. 血液循环，血流 — Plastic particles can cross biological barriers and enter the bloodstream.
• inhalation /ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən/ n. 吸入 — Inhalation of airborne microfibers is a major exposure route.
• ingestion /ɪnˈdʒestʃən/ n. 摄入，吞食 — Microplastic ingestion through food is a growing concern.
• nanoplastic /ˈnænoʊˌplæstɪk/ n. 纳米塑料 — Nanoplastics may be able to cross the blood-brain barrier.
• endocrine /ˈɛndəʊˌkraɪn/ adj. 内分泌的 — Microplastics can disrupt endocrine signaling by leaching chemicals.
• leaching /ˈliːtʃɪŋ/ n./v. 浸出，滤出 — Heating plastic containers accelerates chemical leaching into food.
• inflammatory /ɪnˈflæməˌtɔːri/ adj. 炎症的 — Microplastics can trigger inflammatory responses in human tissue.
• placenta /pləˈsɛntə/ n. 胎盘 — Microplastics were found in every human placenta examined in the study.
• epidemiological /ˌɛpɪˌdiːmiəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/ adj. 流行病学的 — Large-scale epidemiological studies are needed to assess long-term risks.
• biodegradable /ˌbaɪoʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/ adj. 可生物降解的 — Researchers are developing biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics.
• excrete /ɪkˈskriːt/ v. 排泄，排出 — Scientists are investigating whether the body can excrete accumulated microplastics.

【语法要点】

• 被动语态在科技写作中的应用： 科技文章频繁使用被动语态来强调客观事实而非行为者。例如："Microplastics have been detected in human blood" 和 "plastic particles were found in nearly 80 percent of them"。被动语态使表达更加正式和客观。
• 现在完成时表示持续影响： 现在完成时用于强调过去事件对现在的持续影响。例如："This discovery has fundamentally changed how the scientific community views plastic pollution" ——表明2022年的发现至今仍在影响科学界的认知。
• 非限制性定语从句提供补充信息： 用 which 引导的非限制性定语从句补充说明先行词。例如："specialized cells called M-cells in Peyer's patches, which normally sample gut contents for immune surveillance"——用逗号隔开，提供关于M细胞功能的额外信息。