Residing near shorelines contaminated with microplastics might potentially harm your cardiovascular system.
Crappy Takes on the Shitty Situation of Microplastic Infiltration
Hey there, dudes! The shitty little pieces of plastic (aka microplastics) that we all know and hate seem to be fucking up our world even more than we thought, man. A massive study from the good ol' US of A has uncovered a hellish connection between the postcode you call home and the state of your ticker, particularly if you're near some highly polluted ocean waters.
According to lead researcher and cardiology expert, Sarju Ganatra, living in a U.S. coastal county with ocean waters sporting extra-high concentrations of microplastics could increase your chances of landing in hot water—heart and metabolic diseases, like Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and strokes being on the agenda.
"This is one of the first large-scale studies to suggest that dwelling near waters flooded with microplastics could be a red flag for chronic health issues," says Ganatra. "Plastic pollution is more than just an environmental catastrophe—it might as well be a public health crisis too."
So, what the bloody hell are microplastics, anyway? They're tiny ass bits of plastic, measuring less than 5 millimeters, that spring to life when bigger plastic waste takes a crash course with Mother Nature. We're talking about stuff like food packaging, clothes, cosmetics, and paint, broseidon. Once these particles dive into the ocean, they don't stay put—they seep into the ground, thanks to seawater intrusion, a process where saltwater mixes with groundwater resources, fouling groundwater aquifers in coastal areas.
In this new study, researchers divided U.S. coastal counties into four groups, depending on the level of microplastic pollution within 200 nautical miles of the shoreline. They then compared rates of three major cardiometabolic conditions among these groups.
The results were no laughing matter. Folks living in counties with excessive marine microplastic pollution had:
- An 18% higher likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes
- A 7% higher risk of coronary artery disease
- A whopping 9% greater chance of experiencing a stroke
The link between high microplastic pollution levels and a higher number of people suffering from heart and metabolic diseases stayed consistent even after adjusting for age, gender, doctor availability, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors.
It's essential to note that microplastic exposure ain't parkin' its booty at the coastline, bros.
"While this study examined pollution in ocean water, pollution ain't limited to the sea," says Ganatra. "Microplastics are everywhere, dude: in our drinking water, the food we eat—especially seafood, and even in the air we breathe. So, while we looked at microplastic data from ocean water and health information of nearby communities, microplastic pollution is something that affects us all, no matter where we hang our hat."
The research crew is gearing up for follow-up studies to determine how microplastic exposure impacts biological markers of inflammation and cardiovascular stress.
"This study is just another drop in the bucket showing that trash we toss into the environment often finds its way back to bite us in the ass," says Ganatra. "We implore policymakers to view plastic pollution as both an environmental and potential health catastrophe."
You can catch the gory details of this study in the American Heart Association.
PSA: Birds Ain't Immuneto the Plastic Plague
Coincidentally, another study conducted by Nature caught our eye. Researchers found that seabirds are also suffering the consequences of ingesting microplastics. Goddamn those plastic pieces are everywhere!
Source:* The scoop originally came from Cosmos, and it's now available at Nature.
Enrichment Insights:- The study collaborated with the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2019-2020 to access health data at the county level.- Researchers connected high microplastic pollution levels with increased rates of heart and metabolic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke.- The team emphasized that microplastic exposure isn't confined to the coastline but also affects water sources, seafood, and air quality.- Future studies are planned to explore biological mechanisms like inflammation and cardiovascular stress.- The study encourages policymakers to acknowledge plastic pollution as both an environmental and potential health crisis.
Science: The study from the American Heart Association suggests that microplastics, small pieces of plastic that contaminate our environment and water sources, may also pose health risks, particularly leading to higher rates of heart and metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and strokes.
Medical-conditions, health-and-wellness, nutrition, environmental-science: Researchers have linked the ingestion of microplastics, found in various consumer products like food packaging, clothing, cosmetics, and paint, to increased rates of cardiometabolic diseases. However, microplastics are not limited to the coastline but can be found in drinking water, food, especially seafood, and the air we breathe. Consequently, this microplastic pollution could have far-reaching effects on public health and wellness.
