@misc{10481/63116,
year = {2020},
month = {6},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10481/63116},
abstract = {The human body is exposed to the ingestion of microplastics that are often contaminated
with other substances, which can be released into our body. In this work, a dynamic in-vitro simulator
of the gastrointestinal tract based on a membrane reactor has been used for the first time to study
the release, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) from polyethylene
and polypropylene microplastics previously contaminated in the laboratory. The results showed
that 23.11% of the initial Cr and 23.17% of the initial Pb present in microplastics were able to cross
the tubular membrane, simulating the intestinal absorption phase. The pH evolution during the
gastric phase and the duodenal phase, the interaction mechanisms with physiological fluids, and the
properties of the polymers, such as specific surface, porosity, and/or surface degradation, affected the
kinetics of release from the microplastics and the behavior of both heavy metals. Cr was released
very early in the gastric phase, but also began simultaneously to precipitate quite fast, while Pb
was released slower and in less quantity than Cr, and did not precipitate until the beginning of
the duodenal phase. This study shows, for the first time, how useful the dynamic gastrointestinal
simulator is to study the behavior of microplastics and some problematic heavy metals along the
human gastrointestinal tract, and can serve as a reference for future studies focused on the effects of
these substances in the human body.},
publisher = {MDPI},
keywords = {Gastrointestinal dynamic simulator},
keywords = {Microplastic pollution},
keywords = {Human health},
keywords = {Intestinal absorption},
keywords = {Heavy metals},
title = {Microplastics as Vectors of Chromium and Lead during Dynamic Simulation of the Human Gastrointestinal Tract},
doi = {10.3390/su12114792},
author = {Godoy, Verónica and Martínez Férez, Antonio and Martín Lara, María Ángeles and Vellido Pérez, José Antonio and Calero De Hoces, Francisca Mónica and Blázquez García, Gabriel},
}