Human hearts contain tiny fragments of plastic, a July research paper revealed.
The paper, which reported on plastic in the organ that pumps blood through our bodies, appeared in Environmental Science & Technology, a journal of the American Chemical Society.
What’s happening?
In this limited pilot study, researchers used infrared imaging and scanning electron microscopes to study heart-tissue samples and blood from 15 patients undergoing cardiac surgeries.
The researchers found nine types of microplastic and tens to thousands of plastic pieces in tissues from most parts of the heart, according to a news release. However, amounts and materials varied among participants.
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Plastic particles qualify as microplastics if they are less than 0.2 inches long — about the length of a grain of rice.
Scientists have previously found microplastics in our air, food, water, lungs, blood, and other body tissues. Yet there has been limited evidence of plastic in the heart or other organs that are closed off from our external environment.
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