Alarming new scientific findings have sparked a call to action from Swedish water and beverage company Bluewater: We need to urgently investigate the threat of microplastics – tiny fragments of plastic pollution – now discovered inside the arteries that feed the human brain.
The shocking revelation comes from a preliminary study led by Dr. Ross Clark, a vascular surgeon and assistant professor at the University of New Mexico and was unveiled at the American Heart Association’s Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions, held April 22 to 25, 2025, at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Clark’s team found micro and nano plastics embedded in the carotid arteries – vital blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. The highest concentrations were found in individuals who had suffered strokes or stroke-like symptoms.
Stroke survivors had 51 times more plastic particles in their arterial plaque than those with healthy arteries. Even individuals with no symptoms, but with arterial plaque, had 16 times more plastic contamination.
“These findings are a red alert,” said Swedish ecopreneur Bengt Rittri, founder and CEO of Bluewater. “This isn’t just about pollution in oceans or landfills anymore – this is about pollution in our bodies. These microscopic plastics may be putting our most vital systems at risk.”
The discovery builds on a growing mountain of evidence showing that microplastics are infiltrating virtually every part of the human body – lungs, liver, placenta, breast milk, urine, and even brain tissue. While it’s too early to say definitively what damage these particles may cause, researchers have observed clear biological changes. In patients with high levels of arterial plaques, there were disruptions in gene activity and immune response, changes that could destabilize plaques and increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.
Dr. Clark cautioned in an American Heart Association news release against jumping to conclusions but emphasised the urgency of further research.
“These particles might just be tagging along – or they might be accelerating disease. The truth is, we don’t know yet. But the fact that they’re there, in such high amounts, should be enough to alarm us,” he said.
Bluewater calls on the international scientific, medical, and policy communities to rally and prioritise this research. With microplastics now unavoidable in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe, understanding their impact on human health is no longer optional – it’s essential.
“Bluewater is committed to promoting and supporting science and public health efforts to counter the negative impact posed by toxic single-use plastics, particularly single-use bottles,” said Bengt Rittri.