Key points:
- Researchers have found microplastics in human heart tissues.
- In addition to entering the body through the mouth and nose, the study shows surgical procedures are an overlooked route of microplastics exposure.
- The team successfully used laser direct infrared imaging to identify the microplastics.
Microplastics are seemingly everywhere—and that includes, as researchers just discovered, in human heart tissues. In addition to entering the human body through mouths, noses and other body cavities with connections to the outside world, the new study suggests microplastics area also introduced during surgical procedures.
In a pilot experiment, published in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, researchers at a Beijing hospital collected heart tissue samples from 15 people during cardiac surgeries, in addition to pre- and post-operation blood specimens from half of the participants.
The team then analyzed the samples with laser direct infrared imaging and identified 20 to 500 micrometer-wide particles made from eight types of plastic, including polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride and poly(methyl methacrylate). The technique detected tens to thousands of individual microplastic pieces in most tissue samples, though the amounts and materials varied between participants.
All of the blood samples also contained plastic particles, but after surgery, their average size decreased, and the particles came from more diverse types of plastics.
Although the study had a small number of participants, the researchers say they have provided preliminary evidence that various microplastics can accumulate and persist in the heart and its innermost tissues. They add that the findings show how invasive medical procedures are an overlooked route of microplastics exposure, providing direct access to the bloodstream and internal tissues.
More studies are needed to fully understand the effects of microplastics on a person’s cardiovascular system and their prognosis after heart surgery, the researchers conclude.