Microplastics Were More Common in Heart Attack Patients
In the study, researchers collected coronary blood samples from 61 patients with a heart attack, chronic ischemic heart disease, or normal coronary arteries. They also collected data about the patients’ smoking habits and long-term exposure to air pollution.
Microplastics were identified in 84% of patients who had been diagnosed with a heart attack, compared to 40% with chronic ischemic heart disease and 32% of controls. Heart attack patients also had higher levels of microplastics in their blood, with a greater diversity of plastic types.
This result highlights the correlation between microplastic exposure and cardiovascular disease.
Smoking and Air Pollution May Increase Exposure
The study identified two major potential contributors to microplastics in the blood: smoking and air pollution.
100% of patients who were smokers and reported high exposure to air pollution had microplastics in their blood, compared to 12.5% of patients who were non-smokers and had low exposure to air pollution.
The study suggests that smoking and air pollution may provide a vessel for microplastics to enter the body via the lungs, adding to the growing body of evidence that microplastics can act as an environmental determinant of health.
A Growing Area of Research
Microplastics have now been detected in human blood, arteries, lungs, placentas, brains, and other tissues. As research continues to uncover where these particles accumulate and how they interact with the body, reducing unnecessary exposure may become an increasingly important part of protecting long-term health.
Although more research is needed to understand exactly how microplastics affect the human body, studies like this continue to highlight the importance of reducing plastic pollution before it enters our environment.
Reducing Microplastic Pollution at the Source
One of the largest sources of primary microplastic pollution is synthetic clothing, which sheds tiny plastic fibers during every wash. These fibers can pass through wastewater treatment systems and enter rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they persist in the environment.
The CLEANR Microplastics Washing Machine Filter is designed to capture over 90% of these microfibers before they leave your washing machine, helping reduce microplastic pollution at its source. While no single solution can eliminate microplastic exposure, preventing millions of plastic fibers from entering waterways with every load of laundry is one practical step you can take to help protect our environment.