For the first time, microplastics have been detected in urine samples from children in Cyprus, according to a statement by CUT, noting that polyethylene and polypropylene were the most commonly detected types.
This is the finding of a study conducted in collaboration with the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health (CII) at CUT, together with researchers from the University of Catania in Italy (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12989-026-00694-5), which provides preliminary evidence that microplastics can be detected in the urine of elementary school children living in Cyprus.
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As noted, this suggests that children may be exposed to microplastics in ways that allow these particles to enter and circulate within their bodies.
In fact, using advanced laboratory methods, the researchers were able to detect very small plastic particles and identify the types of plastic present in the urine samples. “Polyethylene and polypropylene were the types detected most frequently,” the study notes.
It is pointed out that the study also found differences in the amount of microplastics detected among the children. However, as noted, given that a limited number of children participated and the analyses were primarily descriptive, these differences should not be considered evidence of clear differences between groups.
As CUT states in its press release, the findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution, and it adds that in order to confirm that microplastics are systematically detected in children’s urine, to better understand how they are exposed to them, as well as whether exposure to microplastics may have an impact on children’s health, should be the subject of further research.
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