A novel finding has been brought up in a new study that people are at an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease when the increased levels of micro- and nanoplastics (MnPs) are absorbed in the body.
Non-communicable diseases (NCD) like the above mentioned are linked to inflammatory conditions, these particles dangerously increases the uptake of MPs and its leeching into the digestive and respiratory systems-accelerating the risk and severity of NCDs in the near future.
These findings have been publishing in Cell Reports Medicine, has formed an international group of researchers that are aiming to reach an integrated ‘One Health’ approach worldwide to human health and environmental research. This will bring about a revelation around the environmental mechanisms that lead to a rise in the human MnP exposure and the particles linked with NCDs. MnP concentrations are found to be significantly higher in infants than in adults-could be as its used widely for infant food preparation, presentation and storage. Another potential contribution could also be infants’ behaviour of putting things in the mouth.
Researchers shed light on the catastrophic changes that the relationship between MnPs and NCDs have, tending to resemble other particles including those that are natural and act in a similar biological manner as these such as pollen, human-made pollutants like diesel exhaust, MPs, engineered nanomaterials. The bodily mechanisms trigger a protective defense mechanism, and this can further increase the frequency and severity that the NCDs carry. The NCDs incidence is increasing all around the world and 71% of the four types is collectively responsible for all deaths globally. There’s a prediction of the economic impact being worth of over $30 trillion over more than two decades.
Trends in the global pollution of today reflects on the fact that micro-plastics (smaller than 5mm) and nano-plastics (smaller than 1um). MnPs have been detected vastly in the lungs, blood, breast milk, placenta, and stool samples. Humans are exposed to it by outdoor and indoor activities and environments respectively like foodstuffs, consumption of drinks, inhalation of the air, and application of cosmetic products. MnPs are also found in fish, salt, beer as well as plastic bottled drinks. Other potential sources are fertilizer, soil, irrigation, and uptake of food crops. The human exposure varies greatly depending on its location and the exposure, and MnP pollution hotspots of indoor air contain upto 50 times the number compared to the outdoor air.
The lead author from the University of Birmingham said, “Plastic pollution has increased globally-making it critical that we understand the overall health risks associated with MnP exposure. We must tackle this pollution at its source to reduce further emissions, as the global dispersal of MnPs that has already happened will remain a cause of concern for centuries to come. For this, we need a systematic investigation into the environmental drivers of human MnP exposure and their impacts on the prevalence and severity of the main NCD groups of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease.”
The co-author of the study, at the University of Birmingham, Semira Manaseki-Holland added, “We must better understand how MPs and NCDs interact, if we are to progress global prevention and treatment efforts toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal on reducing premature mortality from NCDs and other conditions where inflammation are concerned through by 2030. This need is critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where NCD prevalence is rising, and plastic pollution levels and exposures are high. Whether we encounter them indoors or outdoors, MnPs are likely adding to global health risks.”
Another co-author of the study, Prof Iseult Lynch, from the University of Birmingham, concluded, “We must understand the human health risks associated with MPs and to do this, we will need to understand the environmental controls of individual exposures. This will require environmental and medical scientists to work very closely together.”
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