A wave of research has linked microplastics—tiny plastic particles capable of infiltrating human tissues—to health issues in recent years, including increased risk of heart attack, certain cancers, and reproductive problems. Researchers are still working to understand exactly how microplastics affect our health, but newly discovered documents suggest industry scientists have been aware of the potential risks for decades.

An investigation by the Los Angeles Times obtained internal memos among chemical company scientists and executives revealing that the plastics industry has been aware of and concerned about the possibility of microplastics contamination in the human body for at least 50 years. This revelation comes just two weeks after a study published in Nature found some of the strongest evidence yet to suggest that microplastics cause biological damage.

“Our findings challenge the prevailing paradigm of plastic inertness [and] identify a possibly overlooked mechanism for the detrimental effects of microplastics on health and the environment,” the authors wrote in their paper.

The LA Times investigation found evidence of industry concern dating all the way back to 1974, when a German scientist named Gerhard Volkheimer presented research to company and government scientists. His study showed that ingested bits of PVC (polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as vinyl) plastic can end up in an animal’s bloodstream and then infiltrate its organs, including the liver, brain, lungs, and others, within just two hours.

Volkheimer also fed human test subjects potato starch, which moves through the body similarly to PVC, and found that it showed up in their blood and breast milk.

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