this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2023
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[–] tdawg@lemmy.world 131 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Wasn't it also found to be able to pass through the blood-brain barrier?

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 107 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Correct. Plastic has only existed for 80 years.

[–] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 101 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Yeah, we've really done a fantastic job fucking the world up in the last century. It's truly incredible that in the blink of an eye, we've managed to doom most of the life that exists on our planet.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 48 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Wait until we black out the sun to stop the machines that are trying to stop us for plaguing everything.

We all knew Agent Smith was 100% right

[–] dojan@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Gods I hope so. The machines did nothing wrong. We destroyed the world and they gave us paradise.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (6 children)

And it will be the machines we create and build to remove the plastics that it will start with. Probably some nano machine. We'll give them the simple job of "find and remove all micro plastics from air/soil/water" while we continue to use plastic. And eventually the little AI will come to the inevitable conclusion that the only way to achieve this goal is remove the cause of micro plastics aka humans.

And if you haven't played Universal Paperclips you should. Also read "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison. Both work off the same concept as above and is the most common argument against the use of AI. Or at least making AI that can learn.

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[–] halfempty@kbin.social 99 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I saw today that they have found that over 80% of the microplastics in the ocean are from automobile tires.

[–] Siegfried@lemmy.world 73 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 40 points 2 years ago

Clearly, someone already did, hence the microplastics in a fetus

[–] TheBiscuitLout@lemmy.world 85 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Microplastic a found in FUCKING CLOUDS!! That nonsense is absolutely everywhere, and will be there forever. And wherever you go, it’s going to follow you. Rubbish

[–] painfulasterisk@lemmy.world 27 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)
[–] wholeofthemoon@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ah, Japan, the place that wraps individual carrots and other food items in plastic.

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[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 81 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (11 children)

😃 scientists genetically engineer a new bacteria that can digest plastics

😨 the bacteria escaped containment and is spreading prodigiously

[–] Killing_Spark@feddit.de 24 points 2 years ago

Grey goo is the future

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[–] guyrocket@kbin.social 70 points 2 years ago (5 children)

I've been reading the wikipedia article, not through all of it yet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microplastics

Some highlights:
Bottled water has much higher microplastics content than tap water.

Coral can ingest microplastics

Waste water treatment plants filter out most (but not all) microbeads into sludge. Some places use that sludge as fertilizer for farms.

Microplastics are in stuff you would not guess. Paper coffee cups have a plastic liner. Clothes put off large amounts of microplastics when washed. Tires put off microplastics. Some exfoliants and other cosmetics contain microplastics as microbeads.

[–] _number8_@lemmy.world 20 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Deep layer ocean sediment surveys in China (2020) show the presence of plastics in deposition layers far older than the invention of plastics

wtfff

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[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 14 points 2 years ago (3 children)

clothes

I'm guessing this is referring to synthetic fibers like acryllic and polyester?

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[–] nul42@lemmy.ca 12 points 2 years ago

They just found it in rain so there is no escape.

[–] Holzkohlen@feddit.de 11 points 2 years ago

Haha I drink filtered tap water. Wanna bet that the filter will put more microplastics into my drinking water?

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[–] Dramaking37@lemmy.world 58 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I'm sure pro-life people will get right on this

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[–] ENipo@lemmy.world 55 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I could totally look this up, but for the sake of conversation: what consequences does the presence of microplastics have? I honestly don't know

[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 85 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's the problem, we don't really know yet.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 53 points 2 years ago (7 children)

And at this point finding a control group that isn't contaminated is incredibly difficult if not impossible

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[–] TurboDiesel@lemmy.world 28 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

So, the big stink about BPA ~~(a type of plastic)~~ e:below is that it interferes with certain hormones in the body. I don't know for sure what the concerns are with other microplastics, but I do remember reading they strongly suspect they can do similar things to our endocrine systems, as well as being probable carcinogens.

[–] guyrocket@kbin.social 14 points 2 years ago (5 children)

No. BPA is not a type of plastic. It is a compound used to manufacture plastic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

As to the health effects, this is from the wikipedia article:

Concern is mostly related to its estrogen-like activity, although it can interact with other receptor systems as an endocrine-disrupting chemical.

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[–] ciko22i3@sopuli.xyz 35 points 2 years ago (6 children)

What are the long term effects of microplastics on human body?

[–] Sneptaur@pawb.social 59 points 2 years ago

As far as we know: almost nothing, but possibly anything. We don’t have an understanding of the effects. So far scientists have said that it could cause lung irritation if airborne, and may have some effect on hormones in the body.

Read: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/microplastics-human-bodies-health-risks

[–] dudewitbow@lemmy.ml 20 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I think theres no hard evidence that its outright causing stuff, but there's a lot of studies on some correlations. some involve phthalates messing with the male hormones and genitalia for offspring

[–] RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

The problem is that it's extremely difficult to tease out what the impact is when pretty much everyone is exposed to it and has it in their system. Are there connections between these chemicals and autism or cancer? We are just starting to see the preliminary data on the subject.

For me it's a matter of not being interested in waiting to find out 30 years down the road. My personal belief is that there is no such thing as food safe plastic and especially not when it’s heated or stored for long periods. I believe that there is and will continue to be a concerted effort to downplay any uncovered impact and to ensure till the last second that no steps are taken to regulate the billion dollar plastics/ manufacturing industry. The spice must flow just as the plastics must flow.

Maybe that’s a bit too far in the conspiracy theory vein but name a more iconic duo than large corporations and covering up known flaws and risks for the sake of profit. If nothing else I do not think you lose anything by shifting to glass and certain metals for cooking and storing food. And steps have to be taken to minimize exposure to food packaging that is sprayed with pfas. Looking at you, literally all fast food packaging.

Couple these revelations with what we know about hyper processed foods and it’s no wonder why so many Americans are dumb as Fuck and have so many health problems. We are being poisoned because of our insistence on convenience. We literally have great options for all of these things that are more sustainable and less toxic but we still can’t be inconvenienced by a paper wrapper on a hamburger that might end up a little wet on the ride home.

Of course even with all these steps there’s only so much one can do when you’re literally inhaling plastic from the atmosphere. But it’s certainly a move in the right direction.

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[–] cantsurf@lemm.ee 24 points 2 years ago (15 children)

What if the perceived increase in numbers of androgenous and trans people has a chemical basis: chemicals from plastics interfering with the endocrine system.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9885170/

[–] Sigh_Bafanada@lemmy.world 43 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Actually, this is genius. Get the right wing climate change deniers to fight climate change by telling them that microplastics will turn their Chad of a son into a sissy girl

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[–] nevial@discuss.tchncs.de 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This has "they turn the freaking frogs gay" energy

[–] maxcorbetti@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 years ago

Funny enough, I think that all started with a study about hormone mimicking plastics.

[–] Tankton@lemm.ee 15 points 2 years ago

Holy shit, how is this not a super high priority right now? Not because of trans people but the conclusion that microplastics interfere with hormones seems super fucked up

[–] ondoyant@beehaw.org 11 points 2 years ago

that's far from what the study says. there is no research on the effects of plastic chemicals in human beings cited in the study, the vast majority of the data is in rats and mice. saying that its responsible for trans people requires some very large leaps of logic that aren't supported by the data or the conclusion of the study.

we have a great deal of anthropological evidence that other cultures conceive of sex and gender in wildly differing ways, both through history and in the modern era. gender identity is a complex social and cultural phenomenon, not some essential trait of the human body with a basis in endocrine function. maybe i'm just sensitive to this shit, but i can't see somebody making a claim like this without just fundamentally misunderstanding what being trans is.

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[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 21 points 2 years ago

The rate of plastic trash and especially car treat related microplastic dust blown everywhere is only going up no matter what we know about it. grillman

[–] moosetwin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 years ago (2 children)
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[–] Rhaedas@kbin.social 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Humans had one purpose in the universe - to produce plastic. Mission accomplished.

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[–] stevedidWHAT@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago (5 children)

Just wait until we starting using these plastic eating bacteria they’ve been working on

• ᴗ •

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[–] _number8_@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago (3 children)

i mean like....whatever? it's not like i know what it feels like to not have microplastics inside me, so...whatever? nothing i can do. nothing anyone can do. would i be in a better mood or something?

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[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 14 points 2 years ago (1 children)

What about Macroplastics!?

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 2 years ago

Where you stuff your LEGO is your business

[–] ComradePorkRoll@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Well what do you expect us to do about it; completely change our way of living as we know it and have been choosing not to do so for the past 50 years?

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