Presence of Microplastic-like Structures in a University Community and Its Companion Animals, from Bogotá-Colombia: An Exploratory Study

Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed among humans and companion animals. Fecal samples from members of the university community at the Pontifical Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia, and their companion animals (pets) were analyzed to investigate a possible association between MP loads in humans and their dogs and/or cats. Structures compatible with microplastics were detected in the feces of 97.78% of humans and 100% of companion animals. No significant correlation was found between MP loads in humans and their companion animals (p = 0.6846), suggesting that exposure is not determined solely by the shared household environment. If the home were the dominant and exclusive source of exposure, a positive correlation between owners and their companion animals would be expected. Instead, the results indicate the existence of species-specific exposure routes. This exploratory study provides the first report of MP-like structures in fecal samples from humans and their companion animals in Colombia.