Polystyrene microplastics may clog immune cells, hindering infection defense
A mouse study found that polystyrene microplastics can accumulate in macrophages and disrupt their ability to engulf dead cells and pathogens, impairing infection clearance in the lungs. While microplastics are detected in many tissues, there is not yet clear evidence of direct human health effects; researchers caution about potential links to inflammation and cardiovascular issues and plan further human studies to assess relevance to human health.
