<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/21/microplastics-brain-pollution-health>
"A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are
accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers
to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution.
Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastics in human lungs,
placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood
vessels and bone marrow.
Given the research findings, “it is now imperative to declare a global
emergency” to deal with plastic pollution, said Sedat Gündoğdu, who studies
microplastics at Cukurova University in Turkey.
Humans are exposed to microplastics – defined as fragments smaller than 5mm in
diameter – and the chemicals used to make plastics from widespread plastic
pollution in air, water and even food.
The health hazards of microplastics within the human body are not yet
well-known. Recent studies are just beginning to suggest they could increase
the risk of various conditions such as oxidative stress, which can lead to cell
damage and inflammation, as well as cardiovascular disease.
Animal studies have also linked microplastics to fertility issues, various
cancers, a disrupted endocrine and immune system, and impaired learning and
memory.
There are currently no governmental standards for plastic particles in food or
water in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency is working on
crafting guidelines for measuring them, and has been giving out grants since
2018 to develop new ways to quickly detect and quantify them.
Finding microplastics in more and more human organs “raises a lot of concerns”,
given what we know about health effects in animals, studies of human cells in
the lab, and emerging epidemiological studies, said Bethanie Carney Almroth, an
ecotoxicologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. “It’s scary, I’d
say.”"
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
