Microplastics in blood clots increase risk of heart attacks and strokes
Last reviewed: 14.06.2024
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A recent study published in the journal EBioMedicine aimed to investigate the impact of microplastic pollution on human health. Researchers from China analyzed and quantified the mass concentration, physical properties and polymer types of microplastics derived from blood clots extracted from the deep veins of the lower extremities, as well as coronary and cerebral arteries.
The durability, versatility and availability of plastics have made them an integral part of our lives, but have also led to widespread plastic pollution and the persistence of microplastics in the environment. Discarded plastic products often break down into micro- and nanoplastics, which pollute the atmosphere, soil and water. Microplastics are divided into two types: primary microplastics, which are produced for medical devices and cosmetics and are less than 5 mm in size, and secondary microplastics, which are formed when large plastic products break down due to chemical or physical influences.
Microplastics have been found in various human tissues and organs, such as blood, sputum, liver, heart, lungs, testes, endometrium, placenta and amniotic fluid. Research has also identified microplastics in blood clots or blood clots, suggesting microplastics may pose a high risk to vascular health.
In this study, the researchers used multimodal techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and laser infrared spectroscopy to analyze and quantify the polymer types, mass concentrations, and physical properties of microplastics obtained from the clots of three major blood vessels — deep veins, coronary arteries and intracranial arteries.
The study included patients who required venous or arterial thrombectomy after myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or deep venous thrombosis, provided that their clot was collected immediately after surgery, they did not have stents, artificial bones or grafts, and they had never used therapeutic or diagnostic agents containing microplastics. Information on demographic characteristics, medical history, lipid profile, and electrolyte panel was also collected for each participant.
The results showed that microplastics, composed of different types of polymers and with different physical characteristics, were present in varying concentrations in blood clots formed in large human arteries and veins. Levels of microplastics in human blood clots were positively correlated with the severity of ischemic strokes.
Of 30 blood clots obtained from patients with myocardial infarction, deep venous thrombosis, or ischemic stroke, 24 (80%) contained microplastics. The median concentration of microplastics in blood clots in myocardial infarction, deep venous thrombosis, or ischemic stroke was 141.80 μg/g, 69.62 μg/g, and 61.75 μg/g, respectively.
The main polymers identified in microplastics recovered from blood clots were polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and polyamide 66. Laser infrared spectroscopy also showed that of the 15 types of microplastics, polyethylene was the most dominant, with a diameter of 35.6 micrometers, accounting for 53.6% of all recovered microplastics.
Levels of D-dimer, one of the biomarkers of hypercoagulability, were significantly higher in groups in which microplastics were detected in blood clots, compared to groups in which microplastics were not detected. This indicates a direct link between the concentration of microplastics in the body and the risk of thrombotic events.
Overall, the study found that blood clots recovered from large blood vessels of patients with myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or deep venous thrombosis contained significant concentrations of microplastics of varying polymer types and physical properties. Moreover, the risk of thrombotic events and disease severity increase with increasing levels of microplastics.