Are microplastics from car tyres contributing to heart disease?
"Add one more likely culprit to the long list of known cardiovascular risk factors including red meat, butter, smoking and stress: microplastics.
"In a study released Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, an international team of physicians and researchers showed that surgical patients who had a build-up of micro and nanoplastics in their arterial plaque had a 2.1 times greater risk of nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke or death from any cause in the three years post surgery than those who did not."
So it's not just the sedentary lifestyles that car-dependent planning encourages that's causing health issues.
And it's not just exhaust fumes either.
There's also the health impacts of microplastics, including from car tyres.
Worth noting as well that internal documents from the big oil companies show that they knew since the 1970s that recycling wasn't going to solve the problem of plastic pollution. They promoted it anyway: https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/112064312364853769
This is the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about or admit. Even in large environmental groups, if you bring this subject up at a meeting no one will say a word as everyone drives to the meetings.
There are things that can be done though to reduce this until an alternative to the materials used in tires is found.
For example, buy local as much as possible, and opt for purchasing items within walking distance on your local street or within quick hop of your local tram/street car/subway network. (This second part may not be possible in a car centric north american city/suburban neighborhood). Opt to use a bicycle over a car to reduce your footprint in tire use (it’s still the same rubber but two less tires). Biking has the added benefit of no exhaust.
Advocate for dedicated and protected cycle lanes on roads and streets so our children and community can cycle without fear of being hit by a car, as well as push your towns and cities for bicycle corridors/trails. Bicycle corridors are cycling trails that are not on a street and far from any car traffic and are more enjoyable for larger distances.
Other larger scale items that you can advocate for include urging shipping companies to prioritize rail over trailers for long distances, and opting to use small delivery vans for the last mile delivery inside town as opposed to 50 footer trailers. This has the added benefit of smaller streets and more vibrant and livable city centers. Also allowing customers to pickup deliveries in person using public transit such as trams/street cars/subway. There should not be a reason pickup centers should be located in areas that individuals can only reach by driving.
Vote and urge your towns and cities to implement more rail and subway systems. Use public transportation as much as possible and urge your cities and municipalities to implement more frequent and dedicated transportation routes. Each car lane and car parking lot removed or converted in your city is a step in the right direction (though it may not feel like it at first), for overall health and wellbeing for your neighbors and yourself.
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