People unknowingly ingest microplastics from what we eat, drink and breathe. Some scientists fear exposure to microplastics could increase vulnerability to heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. While possible links between microplastics and disease are not definitive, researchers are exploring some concerning hints.Thousands of delegates are in Ottawa trying to hammer out an historic treaty to end plastic pollution, but the road to get there is littered with hurdles.
Scientists categorize degraded plastic waste products by size. Microplastics are tiny particles less than than five millimetres in diameter, or about the In the observational study of more than 250 patients who were having tests for carotid artery disease, finding polyethylene in their plaque was associated with heart problems compared with those without having any plastics detected. This type of study can't show whether the tiny plastics caused the heart problems, just associations., for example, which is frighteningly consistent with the findings of microplastics and linkages to coronary artery disease," Trasande said.
"This makes me conclude that MNPs will likely affect our health," Vethaak said in an email. "However, the extent of that impact is still unknown."Do the plastic particles trigger or connect to responses leading to serious diseases?, which often don't equate to human health impacts in medical research. Complicating matters, microplastics also move and build up in the body, which could unknowingly be contributing to chronic illnesses.