https://medium.com/p/2587fc2d6932 In a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy, a surprising discovery was made: microplastics were found within arterial plaques. These tiny plastic particles, measuring less than 5 millimeters in length, were present in approximately 60% of the plaques removed from patients with atherosclerosis

    • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml
      ·
      7 months ago

      That's just the definition of any micro plastic, less than 5mm, doesn't mean they found any that large here (unless I missed them being more specific in the article somewhere?)

      • ashinadash [she/her]
        ·
        7 months ago

        It seems weird to specify half a dang centimeter, I assumed "microplastics" would be invisible to the naked eye, right?

        • SkingradGuard [he/him, comrade/them]
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          A micron is 1/1000th of a mm, so while sort of visible, they can aggregate and form bigger particles. Usually they define a microplastic particle as being from 1–1000 μm (0.001 mm to 1 mm) some argue it should be 1-5000 μm, but to me anything beyond 1 mm isn't microplastic, just plain old plastic chunks.

          • ashinadash [she/her]
            ·
            7 months ago

            That sounds a lot more normal, much more like what I'd expect.

    • smb@lemmy.ml
      ·
      7 months ago

      never eat credit cards with no debt on it, always wait for a sufficient amount to disappeat 😁

  • Magician [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    7 months ago

    Plastics manufacturers knew about plastic not being recyclable. They knew about micro plastics. They put the blame on us anyway.

  • FnordPrefect [comrade/them, he/him]
    ·
    7 months ago

    On the downside: Everything about this

    On the upside: the final generations of humans will all be preserved like the Bodies museum exhibit for the next species to take a crack at this whole intelligent life thing

  • Coca_Cola_but_Commie [he/him]
    ·
    7 months ago

    Crimes of the Future is a motion picture directed by David Cronenberg set in a future world where humans have developed rapid evolution, an ability used by underground artists to grow and remove new organs in masochistic psychosexual surgical art performances. They are manipulated by a cult searching for a new development in human evolution: humans who can digest plastic.

  • un_mask_me [any]
    ·
    7 months ago

    I can't read the article and I have a dumb question: can donated blood or plasma, or even organs, contain microplastics?

      • un_mask_me [any]
        ·
        7 months ago

        ...

        Show

        Quick search says we use pvc plastics for most blood bags...gonna go sit and silently rock myself in a corner while I process this newfound potential horror.

          • un_mask_me [any]
            ·
            7 months ago

            Alas, my neurodivergent brain doesn't process things normally. Glad my hyperbole got a quick label though.