The impact of microplastics and chemical hitchhikers on our health

The opening statement is: “Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have emerged as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. … Direct evidence that this risk extends to humans is lacking.” The details of the study are too complex to explain here. The bottom line is that the plaques were analyzed with the most fantastic scientific techniques to detect MNPs in 257 patients. These people were followed for 34 months to see who had a heart attack, stroke or died, the study’s so-called primary endpoints (especially for those who died). The envelope please. (The Oscars were last week.)

One plastic, polyethylene, used in plastic bags and bottles, was found in the plaques of 150 patients, or 58%. Polyvinyl chloride used in tubing (not human tubing), insulation, and medical devices was found in 31 patients, or 12%. Among these patients, the risk of one of the primary endpoints was 4.5 times higher than the control group, those without MNPs in their plaques. This is incredibly statistically significant. The authors and everyone writing about the study were quick to point out that it does not establish a causal relationship that MNPs caused the events. One prominent cardiologist was quoted as saying, “This is a big one. This is as big a plastic smoking gun as we’ve seen. This should mark a turning point.”

But proving it is very difficult with the techniques we currently have. MNPs have now been identified in literally every geographic location studied, from Mount Everest to the ocean depths and even floating in the air. There are already so many reports that MNPs are ubiquitous and found in so many animals, marine life, and human tissues that it’s frightening. A recent Washington Post article states that hundreds of tons of plastic enter the environment each year. There are many pictures of mostly plastic litter on beaches around the world.

The myriad types of plastic aren’t the only problem. There are over 10,000 chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics, of which over 2,400 are potentially hazardous to human health. This does not include so-called other chemical “hitchhikers” absorbed into plastics and later released into human bodies. MNP-containing tissues identified so far include placenta, lung, liver, blood, breast milk, and urine. It is assumed that we consume enough MNP per week to equal the size of a credit card.

A UC professor said the next step in the research is to try to understand the mechanisms that may explain how these MNPs increase tissue inflammation and lead to cardiovascular disease. A professor of medicine at the University of Louisville pointed out that MNPs pollution will continue or worsen due to the increased temperatures of climate change. Higher temperatures will enhance the degradation of MNPs and their penetration into the food chain and water supply.

Dr. Philip Landrigan of the Global Public Health Program at Boston College wrote an editorial about the study. “Plastics … have made our lives immeasurably more convenient. However, a lot of evidence shows that plastics are neither as safe nor as cheap as they seem. The benefits come with large and increasingly visible costs to human health and the environment. The plastic crisis grows insidiously as all eyes turn to climate change. … The road will not be easy, but inaction is no longer an option.”

Not using single-use plastics is one thing we can do. I just signed another petition today asking a company to stop using styrofoam products. The sales slogan of DuPont Chemical Co. from 1935. “A better life through chemicals” doesn’t sound so good now.