Colorado
Toxic plastic pollution is everywhere, even clogged arteries. We asked a Colorado doctor how to stay healthy.
Micro- and nano-scopic sized pieces of plastic people use everyday can eventually find its way into the most unlikely of places, even in the plaque of clogged arteries of cardiac patients, a recent study found.
In the study, researchers in Italy reported finding “visible, jagged-edged foreign particles among plaque macrophages and scattered in the external debris.”
The researchers said the chemicals in those foreign particles were polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, and polyethylene, two of the most common materials used in everyday, household plastic items, like water bottles and PVC pipe.
A separate recent study found there are 100 to 1,000 times as many pieces of plastic in a bottle of water as previously thought, and in another study from Yale, Americans who consume water from plastic bottles consume an estimated 90,000 more microplastic particles annually than people who only drink tap water.
This week, Colorado has been covered in a gray haze of wildfire smoke and air pollution. Other studies have found microplastic particles can not only be ingested via the beverages we drink or the food we eat, but it can also be inhaled through the contaminated air we breathe.
The Yale study estimates Americans ingest and inhale on average up to 121,000 microplastic particles a year.
Last year, students and environmentalists in the Denver metro area found microplastics in 16 major Colorado waterways — every single waterway they tested across the state.
Inside those chemicals, a controversial compound of durable chemicals can often be found: PFAS, or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, commonly called “forever chemicals” because of their durability.
What makes plastics so great for household products is that they don’t readily break down. But that’s a problem once those chemicals are in our bodies — they just break up into smaller and smaller pieces, and continue to accumulate.
“PFAS particles are unique, because our body doesn’t degrade them very well… ordinarily we have chemicals that break almost everything down that we’re exposed to, but these molecules are resistant to those normal processes, so we tend to accumulate them,” explained Dr. Anthony Gerber, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. “I think the big question is, in addition to accumulating them, are there structures within those forces that are also changing what cells do? So are they having a direct effect on cellular function, in addition to just sort of accumulating and sticking around?”
While Gerber did not work on the Italy study finding microplastics in artery plaques, he has been examining the ways in which pollutants interact in the body.
“There’s this widespread sort of literature on what we call endocrine disruptors… different chemicals that have enough of a chemical match for our normal hormones that they can kind of operate and wind up taking over some of the same body’s signaling and machinery that responds to hormones,” Gerber explained. “We know that PFAS aren’t really strong endocrine disruptors, but they’ve also been shown to have weak activity, for example, in progesterone or estrogens, and so one of the questions is ‘does that weak activity translate into something that might cause disease?’”
But he added, “the other issue is, because they stick around for a long time, that accrual over time of having cells, which might have this higher exposure to hormonal signaling, could have an effect… and then the fact that they’re so persistent, could give you a mechanism where even a little bit of activity could wind up changing cellular behavior and promoting disease or other issues.”
In the study from Italy, researchers reported that people with microplastics in the plaque of their arteries were more likely to suffer more serious outcomes, including heart attack, stroke, or death.
In a different study, scientists found higher amounts of microscopic plastic particles in the feces of people with inflammatory bowel disease.
While some recent studies are finding some associations between PFAS and microplastic exposure with serious medical conditions, Dr. Gerber says many more studies are needed.
Meanwhile, the EPA has deemed some PFAS compounds that have been more readily studied as toxic to humans.
For the first time ever, the EPA passed laws this year limiting certain PFAS in drinking water, and Colorado passed laws that will eventually ban the sales of certain products with PFAS, like dental floss and feminine hygiene products.
But still these chemicals are basically unavoidable in the world around us. They’re in everything from flooring to clothing to food wrappers and water bottles.
With the latest study out of Italy, we’re learning they may be building up in our bodies in an even more intrusive way than ever imagined.
Gerber says the microplastics study in Italy was a novel approach, and will likely inspire more like it in Colorado.
“It definitely opens up a potential way to start to do those comparison studies, which are so important for establishing a link between the chemicals, the plastics, and the PFAS being in the plaque, to actually being causal or changing the way the disease is presenting,” Gerber explained.
So what can we do to protect our health, despite these tiny particles lurking all around us?
Experts say limiting your exposure to plastics and PFAS are a good step. For example, use glassware instead of plastic containers, call your water utility to ask about PFAS testing results, and filter your water if necessary.
But most importantly, Dr. Gerber reminds us not to forget the basics of living a healthy life, like eating a healthy diet, avoiding processed foods, and exercising regularly, which he says helps protect the body and strengthens cellular function.
“If microplastics might be promoting coronary disease, you might not be able to avoid ingesting the microplastics, because they’re everywhere, but you can sure do the other things. You can keep your blood pressure low. You can exercise. You can get your cholesterol measured,” Gerber said. “So my advice would be to do all the things that we already know are beneficial to mitigate whatever unknown risk there might be from some of these chemicals.”
The American Chemistry Council, which represents more than 190 companies engaged in the business of chemistry, many of which manufacture and utilize PFAS and other plastic chemicals, provided the following written statement in full to CBS News Colorado for this report:
“The authors of the most recent study on microplastics and cardiovascular health, Marfella et al. (2024), point out that the results do not prove a link between microplastics and cardiovascular disease. They also cite several factors that – had they been accounted for – could have affected the study results. These include a patient’s socioeconomic status, lifestyle patterns such as food intake or alcohol use, and sample contamination.
“The study of microplastics is relatively new and evolving. The global plastics industry is helping to advance scientific understanding of microplastics and reduce plastic pollution that can become a source of them in the environment – both key recommendations in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2022 report. Our industry has committed $15 million to fund independent research, with more than $7.4 million disbursed since 2021 to academic institutions around the globe.
“Additionally, through the International Council of Chemical Associations’ (ICCA) Microplastics Advanced Research and Innovation Initiative (MARII), we’ve created a global platform to help scientists, academia, and research institutions share information and collaborate on microplastics research. ACC supported the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, bipartisan legislation which provided funding for more research on microplastics.
“Regarding chemistry production and use, ACC’s members are committed to producing chemistries that offer important safety, product performance and durability benefits and that can be used safely. Our members undertake extensive scientific analyses to evaluate potential risk of their chemicals, from development through use and safe disposal. We work with regulators, retailers and manufacturers to provide them with information about our chemicals.
“Meanwhile, we continue to work with EPA, FDA and other federal agencies to strengthen our regulatory system and help ensure that policies are made using the best-available science and the weight of the evidence to make decisions. In fact, chemicals in commerce are subject to government oversight, primarily by six federal agencies (CPSC, DHS, DOT, EPA, FDA, and OSHA), under more than a dozen federal laws and regulations. Today, chemistry products introduced or imported into the U.S. undergo rigorous review and approval processes by federal agencies, such as EPA and FDA.”
Colorado
New affordable housing communities in Colorado aim to serve families with the greatest need
LONGMONT, Colo. — For Skye Beck and her husband, the decision to uproot their family of five from Nebraska and relocate to Colorado for a new job wasn’t easy — especially when it came to the cost of living.
“It was looking like it maybe was not going to be an affordable option for us to come out here,” she said. “We did find one eventually, but it was still just the two-bedroom apartment, and that was just a little tight for us for the year.”
After a year of cramped living, the Beck family moved into a much more spacious apartment at Ascent at Hover Crossing in Longmont. The newest affordable housing development in Boulder County, which officially opened its doors on Tuesday, includes four-bedroom units — a rarity in affordable housing.
“I think they only have six of those [units],” said Beck. “To have that much space for the five of us is a blessing.”
Katie Pung, housing development project manager for the City of Longmont, said the larger units were a deliberate priority.
“Having those larger units for families really came together in a way that we feel like is going to be meaningful for Longmont families,” Pung said.
The mixed-income apartments are available for a variety of incomes, with units ranging from 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) — about $31,650 to $84,400 for a one-person household.
The development also includes an early childhood education (ECE) center on site, giving families an affordable childcare option.
OUR Center, a longtime local nonprofit specializing in subsidized early education for low-income families, will operate the center. The facility is set to open later this year, with availability for both residents and the broader Longmont community.
It reflects a growing statewide push to incorporate childcare into housing projects through state funding and technical assistance for developers.
p2-aff-housing-projects_030326AKB.mp4
A similar effort is underway in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood, where the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is partnering with the Denver Housing Authority to develop Charity’s House, a family housing development with 135 new units — also with an on-site child care center.
At least 40% of the units will be reserved for families earning 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) — currently $37,850 for a family of three and $42,050 for a family of four in Denver. All units will be income-restricted to those at or below 60% AMI.
Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said land partnerships help reduce both cost and construction time.
“If we can enter into a partnership with another organization that owns land, and we can build on that, that cuts our cost and time down considerably,” Alderman said.
The DHA Delivers for Denver (D3) bond program, a partnership between DHA and the City of Denver, has funded 11 property acquisitions since its inception in 2019, according to Denver Housing Authority Chief Real Estate Officer Erin Clark.
“It is public partnerships like that and public-private partnerships that, even us, working with a nonprofit here, that are what deliver more housing across the community,” said Clark. “It’s just people thinking outside of the box and leveraging resources and saying, ‘What do you do best, and what do we do best, and how can we work together to make all this happen?’”
Construction is slated to begin in late 2027.
Denver7 has heard from multiple experts through the years about the lack of affordable housing options for families and seniors.
Years-long waitlists and housing lottery odds often make it tougher. More than 15,000 children and youth are currently experiencing homelessness in Denver.
Colorado has been making significant housing investments since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more affordable housing developments across the state. But Alderman said there is still more work to be done.
“My biggest concern is that not all of that housing is being targeted for those households in the greatest need,” Alderman said.
Longtime Longmont resident Karen Howerton remembers a time when rents hovered in the $600 range.
“When I came back to Longmont six years ago, I was surprised at how much inflation had happened here and how big the town had grown,” she said.
The last affordable housing development she lived in didn’t quite fit all her needs.
Now, she joins the Becks as one of the first tenants at Ascent at Hover Crossing.
“What I wanted to come over here for was a washer and dryer — I didn’t have that at my other place — and the little balcony, you know,” she said. “I’ve met a few of the neighbors already, and I can’t say enough about it. It’s just a great place to be, for sure.”
Howerton and Beck say the little comforts go a long way toward making a place feel like home.
“I mean, everyone deserves to have a space and be able to afford it without worrying about all the other parts of life,” Beck said. “I feel like here we’re able to finally rest a bit and able to enjoy life, but it shouldn’t be limited to just a waitlist.”
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
Snow started Monday night in Colorado’s mountains and will continue throughout the week, likely making its way into the Denver area on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Colorado’s mountain roads, including Interstate 70 at the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel and Berthoud Pass, were already snow-covered Tuesday morning, according to the weather service.
“With more snow to come throughout the day, a Winter Weather Advisory was issued for the Front Range Mountains,” forecasters said.
That advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday for parts of Jackson, Larimer, Boulder, Grand, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit and Park counties, including Rocky Mountain National Park. Additional snow accumulations between 6 and 14 inches are possible on Tuesday, forecasters said in the alert.
As of Tuesday, the weather service’s snow forecasts included:
- 2 inches on I-70’s Vail Pass, with up to 3 inches possible
- 3 inches in Winter Park, with up to 4 inches possible
- 4 inches in Eldora and on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass, with up to 5 inches possible
- 4 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, with up to 7 inches possible
- 5 inches at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, with up to 7 inches possible
- 6 inches on U.S. 34’s Milner Pass in RMNP, with up to 8 inches possible
- 7 inches on Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass near Fort Collins, with up to 8 inches possible
- 9 inches on Mount Zirkel, the highest summit of Colorado’s Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, with up to 11 inches possible
“Travel could be very difficult,” weather service forecasters stated in the winter weather advisory. “The hazardous conditions will impact the Tuesday morning and evening commutes.”
Snow is expected to pause in the mountains Wednesday and resume Thursday before wrapping up early Saturday morning, according to hourly forecasts from the weather service.
In the Denver area, snow is most likely between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, the hourly forecasts show. Rain is also forecast for the metro area during that time, so it’s unknown how much snow will stick.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
In NHL.com’s Q&A feature called “Sitting Down with …” we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. This week, we feature Kim Weiss, assistant coach of the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche’s American Hockey League affiliate. Weiss was named assistant for the Eagles on Jan. 16, joining Seattle Kraken assistant Jessica Campbell as the only women in the NHL or AHL to be a full-time assistant coach.
Kim Weiss doesn’t think about the history she’s made that often.
The 36-year-old is too busy with her duties that come with being the Colorado Eagles’ assistant coach, including breaking down 5-on-5 video — she was the team’s video coach prior to her promotion — presenting it to the team, pushing pucks and running practice drills.
“When the title change happened and the promotion happened, I left the office of the general manager (Kevin McDonald), and I got back to work,” Weiss told NHL.com. “In the moment you’re not really thinking about that kind of stuff, but obviously it’s an honor.
“I’m especially grateful just because of my background. I didn’t play on a national team, I didn’t grow up in Minnesota or any kind of a hockey hotbed. So to get at this level and to have this legacy, for lack of a better word, from the place I’m from, a kid from Maryland that played Division III (hockey at Trinity College), it makes me even more proud to show people that you can get somewhere no matter where you start from. Then you add in being a female and all of that, I’m really proud of my journey and I’m proud of all the people who helped me along the way to get here.”
It’s been quite a ride for Weiss with the Eagles, who are second in the AHL Pacific Division. Last week, Weiss talked to NHL.com about her new duties, working with the Avalanche and more women in hockey.
So what was it like the day McDonald called you into the office to give you the news of your promotion?
“Honestly, it’s an affirmation of the work you put in. That’s what the GM said to me. Last season I had a different head coach (Aaron Schneekloth) and we had a different assistant (Dan Hinote) that both moved onto the NHL, and they both spoke highly of me to our GM in the summer and to our new head coach (Mark Letestu). Getting to know Mark this year and working for him, everything that he had heard of me got confirmed through the first few months of the year.
“I don’t exactly know how the process went about to change the title, but I think he went to Kevin, and I know Kevin said this to me, this line of, ‘You’re doing all the work that the assistant does, so why aren’t we calling you one?’ I’m already on the ice with the team and I run skill skates and scratch skates and present (video). I’m doing everything the assistant coach does; I just had a different title. So I really appreciate them just giving me the opportunity to kind of advance my career and keep doing what I love to do, which is coach hockey.”
Letestu also had you run one of the practices earlier in the season. How did that come about?
“Every assistant got (that chance). The big thing coming in was, he had been an assistant coach before and he wanted to make sure we all had a voice and a say, and we weren’t just coming onto the ice for practice like, ‘Oh, here we go. Push some pucks. Put my track suit on for 20 minutes, push some pucks and jump off.’ He wanted to make sure we had the platform in front of the players.
“It started with our longest-tenured assistant coach, Tim Branham. It was nothing new or scary for any of us, but just a different dynamic. Not every staff allows their assistants to take full responsibility of a full practice. Then Derek (Army) took it and then the next week I took one.”
Detroit Pistons’ loss to Cavs shows weaknesses before playoffs
Floats for San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade get finishing touches
Hip-hop hitmaker Cardi B coming to AAC in Dallas
Shooting in northwest Miami-Dade leaves man in critical condition, sheriff’s office says
Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: Senators Question Kristi Noem on ICE Immigration Tactics
Combustible Republican Senate primary in Texas heading into overtime
Hungarian veto proves EU needs less unanimity, says new Dutch PM
Pregnant migrant girls are being sent to a Texas shelter flagged as medically risky
Fraud-plagued Minnesota sues Trump admin for withholding $243M in Medicaid payments
-
World6 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts7 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO7 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Oregon5 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Florida3 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Maryland3 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Culture1 week agoTry This Quiz on Thrilling Books That Became Popular Movies