Plasticosis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Plasticosis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Pathology |
| Risk factors | Plastic ingestion |
Plasticosis is a form of fibrotic scarring that is caused by small pieces of plastic which inflame the digestive tract.
A 2023 study by Hayley Charlton-Howard, Alex Bond, Jack Rivers-Auty, and Jennifer Lavers, found that plastic pollution caused disease in seabirds. The researchers coined the term plasticosis to indicate the first recorded instance of plastic-induced fibrosis in wild animals. “Further, the ingestion of plastic has far-reaching and severe consequences, many of which we are only just beginning to fully document and understand.”[1]
The disease is caused only by plastic according to the study.[2]
Plasticosis is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of permanent scar tissue. Repeated injuries, chronic inflammation and repair are susceptible to fibrosis where an accidental excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, such as the collagen is produced by fibroblasts, leading to the formation of a permanent fibrotic scar.[3][4]