Microplastics in intravenous fluids: Occurrence, characterization, and risk indicators

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Microplastics are emerging environmental contaminants.
• Their presence in medical products like intravenous fluids is a growing concern.
• Assessing microplastic contamination in intravenous fluids is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and levels of microplastics in commercially available intravenous fluid samples in Türkiye.
• To identify the types of microplastics and assess associated risks.
• To evaluate the overall contamination and safety profile of these medical products.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 50 intravenous fluid samples.
• Identification of microplastics using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy.
• Calculation of microplastic concentration, diversity index, polymeric risk index, and pollution load index.

Main Results:

• Microplastic contamination was found in 9 out of 50 samples.
• The average microplastic concentration was 0.40±0.90 MPs/L.
• A low microplastic diversity index (0.02±0.11) and polymeric risk index (5.64±18.2) were observed, indicating low risk.
• A moderate pollution load index (1.06) suggests a moderate contamination level.

Conclusions:

• Intravenous fluids generally present a safe profile regarding microplastic contamination.
• Microplastics are an important quality and exposure parameter in medical products.
• Continuous monitoring of microplastics in intravenous fluids is recommended.