Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are everywhere — the oceans, air, soil and food supply — but evidence of their effects on human tissues and organs has been limited mostly to preclinical analyses. In March, a prospective observational study examined carotid plaque specimens from 257 people who underwent a surgical procedure to unblock arteries — and identified MNPs (specifically, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride) in the carotid artery plaques of more than half of all participants. The presence of these MNPs was associated with a 4.5-fold increased risk of cardiovascular events after almost 3 years of follow-up. These findings do not prove causality, but they are a cause for concern; they highlight the urgent need for further research into the key sources of human exposure to MNPs, their impact on health and the mechanisms underlying these effects.

Original reference: N. Engl. J. Med. 390, 900–910 (2024)

微塑料和纳米塑料 （MNP） 无处不在——海洋、空气、土壤和食物供应——但它们对人体组织和器官影响的证据主要限于临床前分析。3 月，一项前瞻性观察性研究检查了 257 名接受外科手术疏通动脉的人的颈动脉斑块标本，并在超过一半的参与者的颈动脉斑块中发现了 MNP（特别是聚乙烯和聚氯乙烯）。这些 MNP 的存在与近 3 年随访后心血管事件风险增加 4.5 倍相关。这些发现并不能证明因果关系，但它们令人担忧;它们强调迫切需要进一步研究人类暴露于 MNP 的主要来源、它们对健康的影响以及这些影响背后的机制。

原始参考资料：N. Engl. J. Med.390， 900–910 （2024）