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Microplastics have been found almost everywhere on Earth, from the deep ocean to the top of Mount Everest. Now, scientists have discovered tiny plastic particles inside clogged arteries. The discovery was made by researchers at the University of Campania, who studied more than 200 people undergoing surgery to remove a major artery in their neck. The study found that almost 60 percent of patients had microplastics, or even smaller nanoplastics, in their major arteries. scientific american.
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The report found that patients who had microplastics found in their arteries were 4.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or death within about 34 months after surgery than patients who had no plastic in their arteries. That’s what it means.
“So far, our study is the first to link plastic pollution to human disease,” said Raffaele Malfera, lead author of the study.
“Our data needs to be confirmed in other studies and in larger populations. However, our study does not demonstrate the presence of plastic and heart disease in a representative population suffering from atherosclerosis. “We convincingly highlight the association with vascular events,” he further stated.
Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and professor of biology at Boston University and director of the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Planetary Health Observatory, said the study shows that microscopic plastics can cause cardiovascular disease in humans. provided evidence that it may be associated with poorer outcomes.
“While this study does not tell us what other exposures contributed to patients’ adverse outcomes, the discovery of microplastics and nanoplastics in plaque tissue is itself a breakthrough that raises a series of pressing questions. “This is a significant discovery,” Landrigan said in the paper. study.
In humans, microplastics are found in the blood and in organs such as the lungs and placenta.
The dangers of microplastics
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), tiny particles of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size permeate our oceans, soil, and even the air we breathe.
Inside the human body, microplastics can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, disrupt cellular processes, and deposit endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, and heavy metals.
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