Coastal areas with high marine microplastic pollution exhibit increased rates of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke, indicating a potential link between plastic pollution and cardiometabolic health. Digest
Plastic pollution isn’t just an environmental issue—it may also pose hidden risks to human health. Growing evidence suggests that tiny plastic fragments, known as microplastics and nanoplastics, could contribute to chronic diseases by causing inflammation and oxidative stress. A recent study found that people living in coastal U.S. counties with the highest levels of marine microplastics were 18% more likely to have type 2 diabetes, 7% more likely to have coronary artery disease, and 9% more likely to have a stroke than those in counties with low levels.
To investigate whether marine microplastics might affect human health on a population level, researchers analyzed ocean surface water samples collected within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. coastline. Based on the average concentration of microplastics in adjacent waters, they classified coastal counties as low, medium, high, or very high. Then, they assessed the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke in each group, adjusting for differences in age, sex, healthcare access, and socioeconomic factors.
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Counties with very high levels of marine microplastics had notably higher rates of all three cardiometabolic diseases than counties with low levels. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 18% higher, coronary artery disease was 7% higher, and stroke was 9% higher, even after accounting for other risk factors. These patterns were strongest in counties along the Gulf of Mexico, where microplastic levels and disease rates were generally higher than those along the Atlantic or Pacific coasts.
These findings suggest a possible link between environmental plastic pollution and cardiometabolic health. Microplastics and nanoplastics are pervasive in the environment. Learn how to reduce your exposure in Aliquot #122: How to Limit Microplastic Exposure.