Microplastics and your Health
Plastic is so prevalent in the environment that it’s been found in the most remote parts of the earth. It’s even in the blood in our veins and breast milk. That’s because almost 95 percent of tap water in the US contains plastic particles called microplastics. It’s also in much of our food.
The World-Wildlife Fund gave a jarring comparison, that the average American ingests about a credit card a week worth of plastic. In a year, that’s just over half a pound. What’s not conclusive yet is the impact this has on our health. What’s indisputable is the global demand for plastics. And 90 percent of plastic made globally is not recycled. So, millions of tons of it end up in landfills and become so fragmented they break down into microplastics.
Studies have found plastic particles in our blood, feces, lungs, intestines, and even the placenta. To make things more concerning, up to ten thousand chemicals are used to make plastic. Recent studies now implicate these tiny plastics in heart disease. They accumulate in fatty plaques inside blood vessels. The study found that people with plastic-containing plaques were almost five times more likely to get a stroke, heart attack or die compared to people with plastic-free plaques.
In animal studies, microplastics cause inflammation, neurotoxicity, and disruption in the respiratory system and the gut microbiome. The studies are still preliminary, but we believe the impact on human health will continue to be found. The impact on the environment is already here.
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The Persistence of Plastics: Can Tiny Plastic Pieces Affect Our Health?
Since their invention over a century ago, plastics have become part of our daily lives. Our food and drinks are often packaged in plastics. Plastics are also found in fabrics, toys, tools, and more. Plastic packaging can help keep medical tools and equipment germ-free. But we make and use so much plastic that plastic pollution is now a big concern.
Microplastics found in blood vessels linked to greater risk of heart problems, study finds
Micro and nanoplastics, tiny pieces of plastic scattered throughout the environment, have been increasingly found to be able to enter the body, raising questions about where they end up and how they affect people’s health. In a new study, researchers say they have for the first time detected these plastic pieces inside fatty plaques that accumulate in blood vessels and linked them to an increased rate of heart problems.
You may be eating a credit card’s worth of plastic each week, finds study
The study by Australia's University of Newcastle said the largest source of plastic ingestion was drinking water, but another major source was shellfish, which tended to be eaten whole so the plastic in their digestive system was consumed too.