health
Aug 12, 2023 | 12:15am
Microplastics less than five millimeters wide, about the size of a pencil eraser, can enter the human body through the mouth, nose and other body cavities.
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This may make your heart beat faster.
Microplastics commonly found in food packaging and paint have been found in the human heart for the first time.
This startling discovery was made by a team of scientists from Beijing Anzhen Hospital in China who analyzed the heart tissue of 15 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. According to a study published by the American Chemical Society,.
Microplastics less than 5 millimeters wide, about the size of a pencil eraser, can enter the human body through the mouth, nose and other body cavities.
Physicians Kung Hua, M.D., Yang Shubin, M.D. and their team will investigate whether these particles can enter people’s cardiovascular systems through indirect and direct exposure, according to a research statement. He said he wanted to
The researchers collected and analyzed heart tissue from the patients and blood samples from half of the participants.
They “detected tens of thousands to thousands of individual microplastic particles in most tissue samples” and found plastic samples in all blood samples.
Nine types of plastic were found in five types of heart tissue. The study also found evidence to suggest that some microplastics were accidentally introduced into the subjects during surgery.
The plastics found in three different parts of the heart included poly(methyl methacrylate), a plastic commonly used as a shatterproof replacement for glass. The researchers said the particles “did not result from accidental exposure during surgery.”
They also found polyethylene terephthalate, which is used in clothing and food containers, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is widely used in window frames, drain pipes and paint.
“Detection of in vivo MP” [microplastics] This is alarming and further studies are needed to investigate how MPs enter cardiac tissue and the potential effects of MPs. [microplastics] The research team concluded the long-term prognosis after cardiac surgery.
A study last year suggested that humans consume about 5 grams of tiny plastic particles each week, equivalent to the weight of a credit card.
Scientists at the Medical University of Vienna have found that plastic particles enter the human food chain from packaging waste and enter the body through sea salt, seafood and even drinking water.
Gastrointestinal alterations caused by microplastics are associated with metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and chronic liver disease.
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