ScienceAugust 4, 2026

polypropylene

PAH-lee-PROH-puh-lin

Definition

A common, durable type of synthetic thermoplastic polymer used widely in consumer products and packaging, now increasingly identified as a microplastic pollutant in human blood and tissues.

Etymology

The word is a chemical name formed from the prefix 'poly-' (meaning 'many') and 'propylene,' the specific chemical monomer from which the plastic is polymerized.

In the news

The article mentions polypropylene as one of the specific types of microplastics that researchers detected and attempted to remove from human blood using advanced filtration and adsorption systems.

Cholesterol Cleanup Cuts Chemicals, Plastics, Mystery Remains

Read the full article ↗

Mirage News

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