10/09/2025
🚨 A pivotal study in Environmental Science & Technology reveals that disposable contact lenses release approximately 90,698 microplastic particles (10 nm–400 μm) per pair annually into users’ eyes, driven by sunlight-induced hydrolytic degradation.
Confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and nano-LC/MS, these microplastics pose risks to ocular health, potentially causing inflammation, corneal irritation, or long-term damage.
Beyond the eyes, microplastics may enter systemic circulation, raising broader health concerns.
Research suggests microplastics can disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking hormones, potentially impacting fertility.
They may also carry carcinogenic toxins, increasing cancer risk, and contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation, linked to chronic diseases.
This significant microplastic exposure, both to users and the environment, demands urgent action for safer, sustainable lens materials.
🔗 Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37267077/
