Microplastics threaten human health

Researchers found microplastics and nanoplastics in the fatty deposits or plaques that can accumulate in blood vessels of the heart

Hyderabad: It is hard to believe but increasingly new studies are linking microplastics to heart attacks, strokes, cancers, neurotoxicity, major immune disrupters, and even infertility in humans. It turns out that microplastics, which are less than 5 mm in size, are a more dangerous avatar of plastics, as they accumulate inside the innermost organs, like blood vessels, on the surface of the heart, liver, kidneys, and even in the brain.

Realising the emerging threat of microplastics on human health, a few days ago the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) announced a collaborative study.

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“Micro-and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices,” aimed at understanding microplastics better.

In a recent international study published New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found microplastics and nanoplastics (even smaller particles), inside our innermost organ, in the fatty deposits or plaques that can accumulate in the blood vessels of the heart. While maintaining that there is a need for more cutting-edge research on the subject, researchers said that individuals with microplastics in blood vessels had a greater risk of experiencing heart attacks, strokes, or death.

“It is true that very less has been explored and no awareness among people about microplastics in India. The fact, however, remains that it is not surprising when we come across studies linking microplastics to heart ailments, cancers, etc. They also disrupt body immune function, which in turn causes various kinds of auto-immune diseases in humans,” says senior immunologist from Hyderabad, Dr Vyakaranam Nageshwar.

The FSSAI initiative will strive to develop and validate analytical methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in various food products, as well as assess their prevalence and exposure levels in India, the FSSAI said.

The study will develop standard protocols for micro/nano-plastic analysis, conducting intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons, and generating critical data on microplastic exposure levels among consumers. This study is being implemented in collaboration with leading research institutions across the country, including the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Lucknow), ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Kochi), and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani).