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What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

nautil.us

11–20 of 341 posts

Re: What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

#11
The actual study is here https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030438942...

The study presents three scenarios assuming different assumptions about the mass of plastic particles. In the worst case scenario, where I think the assumptions are bad, they estimate 5g of plastic per week. In the other two scenarios which used more complex but more realistic modelling they estimate 0.15 and 0.3g of plastic consumed per week so only a credit card sized amount per year.

In these scenarios (0.15g and 0.3g) about 90% they estimate comes from salt.

Re: What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

#12

The actual study is here https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030438942... The study presents three scenarios assuming different assumptions about the mass of plastic particles. In the worst case scenario, where I think the assumptions are bad, they estimate 5g of plastic per week. In the other two scenarios which used more complex but more realistic modelling they estimate 0.15 and 0.3g of plastic cons…

Yeah, If I remember right it is pretty much that if you can't see plastic in the water you drink the assumptions that the credit card/week is based on are wrong.

Re: What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

#13
post #4

A startup selling probiotics containing plastic-eating bacteria, anyone?

I wonder how much evolution pressure you must exert onto a living thing for it to start consuming something as complex as plastic. And how many generations past time they are not in the lab anymore they figure out there’s simpler solutions to nutrition, especially in the gut.

Not having any competition for a food source is a very strong pressure, so much so that multiple plastic eating bacteria have already been discovered.

Re: What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

#15
post #4

A startup selling probiotics containing plastic-eating bacteria, anyone?

I wonder how much evolution pressure you must exert onto a living thing for it to start consuming something as complex as plastic. And how many generations past time they are not in the lab anymore they figure out there’s simpler solutions to nutrition, especially in the gut.

If we consider lignin as the first plastic (not man-made), it took about 60 million years. See https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-fanta...

Re: What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

#17
I was thinking about this tonight on my walk.

I've been noticing some funny looks at my mask wearing.

I usually walk with my mask on. I have done this way before Covid.

I used to wear it for allergies. My allergies just felt better when I wore a mask.

Tonight I could smell burn't tires on my walk. A older guy happened to be doing a burn out in his Tesla. Yea--I know, not the typical burnout guy. A few Japanese beers might have something to do with the stunt.

I left, and thought about why I like to wear a mask. We have so much pollution in the air, it just seems prudent? I'm not even that worried about Covid right now.

(I do believe we consume way to much plastic, and other chemicals (Dawn Dish soap has 13 chemicals. Why? It cleans well. I am not a great dishwasher though.)

So if you see a "jerk" wearing a mask on Sir Francis Drake look away. I know it bothers some folks.

Re: What is our hidden consumption of microplastics doing to our health?

#18

How much glass do I consume? Or is glass, dust, whatever - any different from plastics?

Plenty, same with pollen; the difference is that glass / silica is pretty inert, whereas microplastics release chemicals that according to some research mimic that of hormones. It's one theory behind humans' fertility declining - not just that they have less children, but they produce less sperm and the like.
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