Microplastics and nanoplastics are ubiquitous in our environment, from oceans and lakes to farmland and even ice algae in the Arctic.

Microplastics are also found in our bodies, with studies detecting them in various tissues such as the lungs, blood, heart, and placenta. Understandably, there is growing concern about the potential risks that microplastics pose to our health.

However, while there is a growing body of research focusing on microplastics and nanoplastics, there is still a lack of direct evidence that the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in human tissues is harmful to our health. and it is unclear whether they are associated with specific diseases.

However, new research has revealed a correlation between microplastics and heart health. Researchers have found that people with detectable microplastics and nanoplastics in plaque in their arteries have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.

heart health

The researchers surveyed a total of 257 people. All patients had already undergone preventive surgery to remove plaque from their carotid arteries, the main arteries that supply blood to the brain. This allowed researchers to collect plaque samples and perform chemical analysis. Participants were then followed up 34 months later.

Microplastics and nanoplastics were found to be present in the arterial plaques of 150 of the 257 participants. These were mainly fragments of two of the world’s most commonly used plastics: polyethylene (used in grocery bags, bottles and food packaging) and polyvinyl chloride. (Used for flooring, cladding, and pipes).

Statistical analysis of this data shows that patients with microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaques are more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, or die from any cause than patients without microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaques. It turned out to be a high risk.

The researchers also analyzed macrophages, a type of immune cell that helps remove pathogens from the body, in the patients’ arteries. They found that macrophages in participants who had microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaques also had evidence of plastic debris.

They also looked at whether certain genes associated with inflammation (which can be a sign of disease) were turned on in the participants. They found that participants who had microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaques also had signs of inflammation in their genes.

These results may suggest that the accumulation of nanoplastics and microplastics in carotid plaques may partially cause inflammation. This inflammation then changes the way the plaque behaves in the body, making it less stable and can lead to the formation of blood clots, which can eventually block blood flow and cause a heart attack or stroke. There is a gender.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that the presence of nanoplastics and microplastics was more common in participants with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This raises many questions that remain unanswered, such as why microplastics are more common in these participants and whether there is a correlation between other diseases and the presence of microplastics in the body. raises questions.

Other health risks

The study focused only on patients with carotid artery disease who had already undergone surgery to remove plaque buildup. Therefore, it is unclear whether the results of this study can be applied to a larger population.

However, this is not the first study to link microplastics and nanoplastics to poor health outcomes. Research suggests that some of this harm may be due to the way microplastics and nanoplastics interact with proteins in the body.

For example, some human proteins attach to the surface of polystyrene nanoplastics and form a layer surrounding the nanoparticles. The formation of this layer may affect the activity and migration of nanoplastics in human organs.

Another study suggests that nanoplastics can interact with a protein called alpha-synuclein, which has been shown to play an important role in promoting communication between nerve cells in mouse studies. There is. These nanoplastic and protein clumps may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

My published PhD research in chicken embryos found that nanoplastics can cause birth defects due to the way they interact with a protein called cadherin 6B. Based on interactions that I and my research colleagues have seen, these malformations can affect the development and function of the fetus’s eyes, neural tube, and even heart.

Given the fact that nanoplastics and microplastics were found in carotid plaques, it is necessary to investigate how these plastics enter such tissues.

In mice, it has been demonstrated that intestinal macrophages (a type of white blood cell) can absorb microplastics and nanoplastics into their cell membranes. A similar mechanism is likely occurring in arteries, as nanoplastics have been identified in samples of carotid artery plaque macrophages.

These latest findings add to the growing body of evidence linking plastic products to our health. It is now important for researchers to investigate the specific mechanisms by which microplastics and nanoplastics cause harm in the body.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.