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The potential of micro- and nanoplastics to exacerbate the health impacts and global burden of non-communicable diseases
Summary
This review presents evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may worsen non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory illness by fueling chronic inflammation in the body. The authors also propose that people already suffering from these diseases may absorb even more microplastics due to their weakened tissue barriers, creating a harmful feedback loop.
Non-communicable diseases (NCD) constitute one of the highest burdens of disease globally and are associated with inflammatory responses in target organs. There is increasing evidence of significant human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MnPs). This review of environmental MnP exposure and health impacts indicates that MnP particles, directly and indirectly through their leachates, may exacerbate inflammation. Meanwhile, persistent inflammation associated with NCDs in gastrointestinal and respiratory systems potentially increases MnP uptake, thus influencing MnP access to distal organs. Consequently, a future increase in MnP exposure potentially augments the risk and severity of NCDs. There is a critical need for an integrated one-health approach to human health and environmental research for assessing the drivers of human MnP exposure and their bidirectional links with NCDs. Assessing these risks requires interdisciplinary efforts to identify and link drivers of environmental MnP exposure and organismal uptake to studies of impacted disease mechanisms and health outcomes.