Australian supplement company Propel Health Australia is highlighting research into the interaction between fulvic acid and microplastics, as interest grows in how environmental contaminants behave alongside naturally occurring compounds.
Fulvic acid is a natural organic compound and antioxidant formed when microorganisms break down plant matter in soil.
It acts as a natural chelator that attaches to vitamins and minerals to improve how the body or plants absorb them.
Primary sources include shilajit, humate-rich mineral deposits and trace amounts in organic root vegetables.
Research published in Science of the Total Environment found that fulvic acid can interact with microplastic particles under controlled laboratory conditions, with the compound attaching to particle surfaces and altering their physicochemical characteristics.
One 2024 study examined interactions between fulvic acid and four common plastics – polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
The researchers found that PE and PP had a higher affinity for fulvic acid than PS and PVC, with oxygen-containing functional groups playing an important role in the interaction.
A separate study in the same journal investigated photoaged polystyrene microplastics and found that interaction with fulvic acid increased surface roughness and oxygen-containing functional groups.
The researchers also reported stronger interactions between fulvic acid and aged particles than pristine particles, suggesting that environmental ageing can influence how microplastics behave.
Growing focus on microplastic exposure
The findings are relevant to a growing research field examining microplastics as environmental contaminants.
Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5mm and have been detected across food and water sources, while research has also identified particles in human tissues.
However, the long-term implications of human exposure remain unclear.
Implications for the nutra sector
Fulvic acid is already used in nutritional products, but is often positioned around mineral availability and other health-related benefits.
Grant Jenkins, Physiologist and Product Development Director at Propel Health Australia, said the findings represented “another fascinating dimension” to scientific interest in fulvic acid.
However, the company stresses that the research is at an early stage. The laboratory findings don't demonstrate that fulvic acid can remove microplastics from the human body, nor do they establish a health benefit from such an interaction.
Further research will be required to determine whether the observed interactions occur under physiological conditions and whether they have any relevance to human health or nutrition.
