From the great depths of the ocean to the top of Mount Everest, microplastics have been found almost everywhere on the planet. Now, scientists have discovered the tiny plastic particles inside our clogged arteries. The discovery was made by researchers from the University of Campania, who studied more than 200 people undergoing surgeries to clear a major artery in the neck. The study found that nearly 60 per cent of the patients had microplastics or even smaller nanoplastics in a main artery, as per Scientific American.
The study has been published in New England Journal of Medicine.
It said that patients who were found with microplastics in their arteries were 4.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack, a stroke or death in the approximately 34 months after the surgery than were those whose arteries were plastic-free.
In humans, microplastics have been found in the blood and in organs such as the lungs and placenta.
According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the tiny particles of plastic less than 5 millimetres in size, have infiltrated our oceans, soil, and even the air we breathe.
