Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Circulating Microplastics as Acute Triggers of Platelet Activation and Coagulation: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk

Researchers exposed human platelets to nanoplastics and found direct activation of platelet aggregation and coagulation pathways at environmentally relevant concentrations. The results suggest that circulating microplastics and nanoplastics could act as acute triggers of thrombosis, with implications for cardiovascular disease risk.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in human blood and their association with coagulation markers

In a study of 36 healthy adults, microplastics were detected in the blood of 89% of participants, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common types found. Higher microplastic levels were associated with changes in blood clotting markers, suggesting that plastic particles in our bloodstream may affect how our blood coagulates, though larger studies are needed to confirm this link.

2024 Scientific Reports 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Effects on Thrombin-Fibrinogen Clotting Dynamics Measured via Turbidity

Researchers found that non-modified polystyrene microplastics significantly slowed fibrin clot formation in a laboratory model — reducing clotting rate up to 27-fold — while aminated polystyrene had minimal effect, suggesting microplastic surface chemistry may influence blood coagulation dynamics.

2023 Proceedings of IMPRS
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles induce endothelial activation

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic particles triggered inflammatory activation in endothelial cells lining blood vessels, increasing adhesion molecule expression and promoting leukocyte attachment. In mice, microplastic exposure led to elevated inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecule expression in the aorta. The study identifies microplastics as a potential new environmental risk factor for vascular inflammation.

2021 PLoS ONE 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring microplastic impact on whole blood clotting dynamics utilizing thromboelastography

Researchers used a blood clotting analysis technique to study how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and surface types affect human blood clotting. They found that negatively charged particles consistently activated the clotting process, increasing both the speed and strength of clot formation in a size-dependent manner. The findings highlight that microplastic surface chemistry and particle size play important roles in how these particles might interact with blood.

2023 Frontiers in Public Health 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Amine-modified nanoplastics promote the procoagulant activation of isolated human red blood cells and thrombus formation in rats

Researchers investigated whether polystyrene nanoplastics promote blood coagulation activity in human red blood cells. The study found that amine-modified 100 nm nanoplastics were taken up by red blood cells, caused morphological changes, induced phosphatidylserine externalization, and generated microvesicles, suggesting that certain nanoplastics may promote procoagulant activity and potentially contribute to thrombus formation.

2022 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Effects on Thrombin–Fibrinogen Clotting Dynamics Measured via Turbidity and Thromboelastography

Researchers found that microplastics directly altered fibrin clot formation dynamics in a human thrombin-fibrinogen model, with effects varying by plastic type, size, and concentration, suggesting potential impacts on blood clotting and cardiovascular health.

2022 Biomolecules 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Weathered microplastics in human blood: unraveling the effect of structural changes at the particle surface on coagulation and platelet activation

Researchers exposed human whole blood to microplastics that had been artificially aged to simulate real environmental weathering, finding that weathered plastics like polystyrene, PVC, and PET triggered significantly stronger blood clotting and platelet activation than fresh plastic particles. The findings suggest that the longer plastic sits in the environment and degrades, the more dangerous it may become to human cardiovascular health.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics enhance thrombosis through adsorption of plasma proteins

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics can enter the bloodstream and increase the risk of blood clots by adsorbing key clotting proteins, particularly coagulation factor XII and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. This protein-adsorption mechanism was confirmed through multiple analytical approaches. The discovery of this thrombosis-promoting pathway is concerning because it suggests that nanoplastic exposure could increase cardiovascular risks like stroke and heart attack.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro- and nanoplastics on blood cells in vitro and cardiovascular parameters in vivo, considering their presence in the human bloodstream and potential impact on blood pressure

This review examines evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can enter the human bloodstream and interact with blood cells, with plastic particles already detected in human blood, blood clots, and artery plaques. While direct evidence linking microplastics to blood pressure changes in humans is still lacking, animal studies and the mechanisms identified -- including blood vessel damage and inflammation -- suggest cardiovascular effects are plausible.

2025 Environmental Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic-induced vascular endothelial injury and coagulation dysfunction in mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface modifications and found that the particles caused structural damage to vascular endothelial cells and triggered inflammatory responses. The nanoplastics also disrupted blood coagulation function in the mice. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may pose risks to cardiovascular health due to the particles' ability to travel through the bloodstream and damage blood vessel linings.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effect of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on tube formation and viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics on human blood vessel cells grown in the laboratory and found that the particles reduced cell survival and inhibited the formation of new blood vessel structures. Smaller microplastics accumulated inside the cells more readily and triggered cell death through autophagy and necrosis. The study suggests that microplastics entering the bloodstream could potentially interfere with normal vascular function.

2021 Food and Chemical Toxicology 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental microplastic and nanoplastic: Exposure routes and effects on coagulation and the cardiovascular system

This review explores how environmental microplastic and nanoplastic particles may affect blood coagulation and the cardiovascular system in humans. Researchers summarized evidence suggesting that plastic particles can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, potentially triggering inflammatory responses in blood vessels. The study highlights the need for more research on how chronic exposure to these tiny plastic particles may contribute to cardiovascular health risks.

2021 Environmental Pollution 168 citations
Article Tier 2

Multimodal detection and analysis of microplastics in human thrombi from multiple anatomically distinct sites

This study used multiple detection methods to find and analyze microplastics in blood clots (thrombi) collected from different locations in the human body. The detection of microplastics within blood clots from various anatomical sites suggests that plastic particles may play a role in clot formation. This research adds to mounting evidence linking microplastic presence in the cardiovascular system to potential heart and stroke risks.

2024 EBioMedicine 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics with human fibrinogen

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface modifications disrupted the structure of human fibrinogen, a key blood clotting protein, in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that nanoplastics entering the bloodstream could interfere with protein function, raising concerns about the potential biological consequences of nanoplastic exposure in humans.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 25 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Peroral Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastic on the Value of Prothrombin Time and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in Rattus Norvegicus Wistar Strain

Researchers found that Wistar rats given 0.5 mg/day of PVC microplastics orally exhibited altered prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time values compared to controls, suggesting that microplastic accumulation in the liver impairs hepatocyte synthesis of blood clotting factors.

2022 Journal of Widya Medika Junior 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of toxicity of polystyrene microplastics under realistic exposure levels in human vascular endothelial EA.hy926 cells

Researchers exposed human vascular endothelial cells to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations comparable to levels detected in human blood. They found that the microplastics caused oxidative stress, reduced antioxidant defenses, and triggered apoptosis in the vascular cells. The study suggests that microplastics circulating in the bloodstream at realistic concentrations may contribute to vascular damage by impairing cellular protective mechanisms.

2022 Chemosphere 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Kinetics and toxicity of nanoplastics in ex vivo exposed human whole blood as a model to understand their impact on human health

Researchers exposed human whole blood to five types of nanoplastics and found that immune cells, especially monocytes, readily absorbed the particles, triggering oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Different plastic types caused different effects: some triggered blood clotting, others caused red blood cell damage, and PLA (a "biodegradable" plastic) was among the most reactive. This study provides direct evidence that nanoplastics reaching the human bloodstream can disrupt immune cells, blood clotting, and inflammation.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Internalization and cytotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Researchers investigated the uptake and toxicity of 1-micrometer polystyrene microplastics in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The study found that interaction between the cells and microplastics was very low, with less than 4% of cells taking up particles even at high concentrations, and no significant inflammation, autophagy, or oxidative stress responses were observed at tested exposure levels.

2022 Journal of Applied Toxicology 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics on Tube Formation and Viability of Endothelial Cells

Lab experiments found that polystyrene microplastics impaired the ability of human endothelial cells (which line blood vessels) to form tube-like structures and reduced cell viability at higher concentrations. This is early evidence that microplastics entering the bloodstream may damage vascular cells, with potential implications for cardiovascular health.

2021 Current Developments in Nutrition 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfluidic-based in vitro thrombosis model for studying microplastics toxicity

Researchers developed a microfluidic-based thrombosis model to study how microplastics interact with the vascular system. Using both a mouse model and an on-chip system, the study found that microplastic exposure led to accumulation in the blood and decreased binding of fibrin to platelets, suggesting a potential risk of thrombus instability in blood flow.

2022 Lab on a Chip 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Virgin and photo-degraded microplastics induce the activation of human vascular smooth muscle cells

Lab tests showed that common microplastics from food packaging (polyethylene and polystyrene) can activate human blood vessel smooth muscle cells in ways linked to atherosclerosis and vascular calcification. Photo-degraded microplastics -- the weathered kind found in the real environment -- triggered even stronger inflammatory responses, suggesting that environmental plastic pollution could contribute to cardiovascular disease.

2025 Scientific Reports 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Pigment microparticles and microplastics found in human thrombi based on Raman spectral evidence

This study provides the first direct photographic and chemical evidence of microplastics and pigment microparticles inside human blood clots (thrombi). A large number of non-soluble synthetic particles were found accumulated in arterial tissue, suggesting that the health risks of microparticle exposure have been underestimated. The findings raise serious questions about whether microplastics circulating in the bloodstream could contribute to blood clot formation and cardiovascular events.

2022 Journal of Advanced Research 301 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of micro- and nanoplastic particles on human macrophages

This study is the first to visualize polystyrene micro- and nanoparticles inside primary human immune cells (macrophages) from actual blood donors, showing that the particles increase cell death and generate harmful reactive oxygen species. The findings provide direct evidence that human immune cells react to plastic particles in ways that could contribute to inflammation and health problems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 48 citations