Microplastics, tiny plastic pieces smaller than 5 millimeters, are found just about everywhere – from our food and drink to the very air we breathe.
Now, there’s evidence that these particles might also be inside some of our most vital organs, even those that are not directly exposed to the external environment.
Researchers, Kun Hua, Xiubin Yang and their team, looked into the possible presence of microplastics in the cardiovascular system, one of the body’s most important internal systems.
For their pilot study, they analyzed heart tissue samples taken from 15 individuals who underwent heart surgery. They also examined blood samples taken before and after the surgical procedures from some of the participants.
Using laser direct infrared imaging, the researchers identified plastic particles ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers in width.
These particles were made from various types of plastic materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and poly(methyl methacrylate).
Most of the tissue samples contained numerous microplastic fragments, though the amount and types of plastics varied between individuals.
Surprisingly, all of the blood samples also contained these particles.
What was even more intriguing was that after surgery, the average size of these particles in the blood decreased, and there was a wider variety of plastic types detected.
Conclusion and Implications
While the study only involved a limited number of participants, it provides initial evidence that microplastics can indeed accumulate and persist in the heart and other internal tissues.
Furthermore, the findings highlight that invasive medical procedures, like surgeries, could be a previously unrecognized route of exposure to microplastics, allowing these particles direct access to our bloodstream and internal organs.
Given these findings, there’s a pressing need for more research. It’s crucial to understand the impact of microplastics on the cardiovascular system, as well as the potential long-term health implications for individuals who undergo heart surgeries or other invasive procedures.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
