Doctor with pill bottle, spilling medication into hand
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A new study finds that microplastics seem to contribute to more chronic diseases in coastal areas of the United States. Rates of stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes are higher in coastal or lakefront areas with greater concentrations of microplastics in the environment, according to data presented Monday at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).
Higher concentrations of microplastics are associated with more chronic diseases, the team reported. Researchers examined data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal data on microplastics concentrations in sediment from coasts and lake shores between the years of 2015 and 2019. They included 154 different socioeconomic and environmental factors in their analysis.
Researchers did not expect that microplastics would rank in the top 10 factors for predicting chronic noncommunicable disease prevalence, the authors said. Findings do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship between microplastics and chronic illness. More studies should further explore the correlation and tell how much exposure could impact an individual’s health.
“This study provides initial evidence that microplastics exposure has an impact on cardiovascular health, especially chronic, noncommunicable conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke,” Sai Rahul Ponnana, a research data scientist at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Ohio and the study’s lead author, said in a statement.
Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that are as small as 1 nanometer wide; a strand of hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide, the scientists explained. They can exist in water, air, building materials and food.
The news comes as a report presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) found that chewing gum could release microplastics directly into saliva.
A report released last month found that marine microplastic levels (MMLs) were linked with cognitive, mobility, self-care and independent living-associated disabilities.