• Aradina [She/They]@lemmy.ml
    ·
    3 months ago

    Remember when people said that microplastics would be our generations leaded petrol?

    Actually it's worse because we're refusing to do anything about it. Extremely normal planet.

  • un_mask_me [any]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    It's scary

    It's pretty alarming

    There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with

    I'm so glad this is being studied so we can do absolutely nothing about it

    Show

    • UlyssesT
      ·
      edit-2
      15 days ago

      deleted by creator

    • CthulhusIntern [he/him]
      ·
      3 months ago

      It gets worse, it's inherently difficult to study this. There have been attempts to study the effects of microplastics in humans, but every time, those studies have to be canceled, because they can't find a control group.

      • un_mask_me [any]
        ·
        3 months ago

        A control group being people without plastics already present? Got any links for this, I am curious.

  • FloridaBoi [he/him]
    ·
    3 months ago

    Still, researchers say that individuals should try to reduce their exposure by avoiding the use of plastic in preparing food, especially when microwaving; drinking tap water instead of bottled water; and trying to prevent the accumulation of dust, which is contaminated with plastics.

    doomjak

    The Food and Drug Administration says in a statement on its website that “current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.”

    The American Chemistry Council, which represents plastic and chemical manufacturers, did not directly respond to questions about the recent studies finding microplastics in human organs. Kimberly Wise White, a vice-president with the group, noted that “the global plastics industry is dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of microplastics”.

    The ACC seems unhinged with their responses to research and news about microplastics with all of the responses being some form of "nuh uh"

    • PaX [comrade/them, they/them]
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      drinking tap water instead of bottled water

      doomjak

      Ahhh I get to choose between the lead and the plastic, very cool

      Maybe I should try that boiling thing

      I genuinely don't know if I wanna live anymore

      • ryepunk [he/him]
        ·
        3 months ago

        Why not boil in a plastic bottle so you get the best of both worlds!

      • Feinsteins_Ghost [he/him]
        ·
        3 months ago

        Point of use/under cabinet R.O. or whole house water filter is going to be the only way to ensure safe drinking water going forward.

        They can be had somewhat cheaply, for single faucet dispensing.

        • PaX [comrade/them, they/them]
          ·
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          ~10 dollars in my fake app bank acct, overdrafted in my "real" bank acct cat-vibing

          Will look into this if I ever have money for safe water to drink

          I love being alive during the era of late capitalism, I love thinking

        • Dingus_Khan [he/him, they/them]
          ·
          3 months ago

          It doesn't eliminate PFAS chemicals though doomjak

          The entire watershed of the town I grew up in has contaminated water from a DuPont plant, provably going back to the 80s. Discovered about a decade ago, absolutely no government action done to mitigate it. For a year or two after the proof came out the county provided free water bottles, then literally nothing. Several hundred thousand people are daily drinking contaminated water out of taps that cannot be remedied at the point of use and the state and local government just continues to shrug

          • Feinsteins_Ghost [he/him]
            ·
            edit-2
            3 months ago

            Reverse osmosis very much removes PFAs from drinking water. There are other ways besides RO for reducing/removing pfa’s

    • BodyBySisyphus [he/him]
      ·
      3 months ago

      lmao:

      No, Microplastics Are Not The “New Acid Rain.” Not Even Close.

      Sensational and ominous headlines such as “Plastic rain is the new acid rain” are in no way based on science. Microplastics are not acidic, and they don’t act like acid rain. In fact, the World Health Organization and others have noted that, while microplastics are present in the environment, existing evidence indicates they don’t pose a risk to human health.

      Interestingly, the report referenced found the amount of microplastics in the environment represents only four percent of particles collected on average – and in some cases much less. The other 96 percent is comprised of natural materials like minerals, dirt and sand, insect parts, pollen, and more.

      That's right, only 1/25th of small solid particles in the environment are plastic! We gotta get those numbers up!

      Also, hilariously, every time you copy something from the web page, they embed a little "Learn more at: https://www.americanchemistry.com/chemistry-in-america/news-trends/blog-post/2020/no-microplastics-are-not-the-new-acid-rain-not-even-close"

      Like sure, I'll happily link the rest of the screed because it has to be seen to be believed, don't worry.

      • BeamBrain [he/him]
        ·
        3 months ago

        No, Microplastics Are Not The “New Acid Rain.” Not Even Close.

        Correct, we actually did something about acid rain

        • gueybana [any]
          ·
          3 months ago

          I think that sentence was by far the dumbest shit I’ve read in weeks.

      • UlyssesT
        ·
        edit-2
        15 days ago

        deleted by creator

    • Dolores [love/loves]
      ·
      3 months ago

      The Food and Drug Administration says in a statement on its website that “current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.”

      uhhhh is there tho? we've had many discoveries of microplastics being in places and things, and like duh new things should not be added to bodies and environments without knowledge of their implications. but there is very little concrete about what it's actually doing.

      • DefinitelyNotAPhone [he/him]
        ·
        3 months ago

        Yeah, there's not any evidence I'm aware of yet that micro plastics in the body do much of anything. That's not to say that it doesn't, just that whatever it might do is not so dramatic that we're able to immediately tell.

        • Dolores [love/loves]
          ·
          3 months ago

          and unfortunately it's crucial for this information to be found out before places like the FDA can make a standard. they can't just guess and risk that being too high, and until we have realistic mitigation strategies it's a joke to say "none"

  • QuillcrestFalconer [he/him]
    ·
    3 months ago

    The good news is the plastic will insulate the sinapses in my brain, and make the electric signaling more efficient

    • PaX [comrade/them, they/them]
      ·
      3 months ago

      When you replace the myelin in your brain with plastic so you can think about buying more Funko Pops faster

      This is bourgeois transhumanism

  • Annakah38 [she/her]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    I hate liberal journalism. The article contains a myriad of evidence showing that being filled with plastic is bad for your health, and yet they quote the FDA as saying "there is no evidence being filled with plastic is harmful." No comment, no critique, as if the FDA blatantly lying to you is something normal and ok. The article title should be "FDA ignores evidence that microplastics are harmful to life." That should be the title. Instead we get this depressing article implying no one can do anything but die filled with plastic.

    Don't lose heart. America is the biggest problem and they grow weaker everyday. Keep fighting.

  • Cummunism [they/them, he/him]
    ·
    3 months ago

    Use glass bottles that can be cleaned and reused? Nah, not profitable enough. And what will happen when someone gets a cut! Think of the horror! Plastics make it possible!

    • Dickey_Butts [none/use name]
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      Poor person hack: lots of instant coffee like cafe bustelo comes in decent glass jars. So if you're gonna get coffee get a reusable glass jar too. The lid is unfortunately plastic, but I've been trying to find a non-plastic solution on the cheap. Also instant coffee isn't as bad as its made out to be.

      • keepcarrot [she/her]
        ·
        3 months ago

        So long as you aren't scraping the lid against asphalt, the plastic lid is probably fine. Unfortunately, most homes don't come with stamping tools and dies appropriate for making jar lids. Probably the cheapest form lid I could imagine is oiling up the jar thread, placing a cheap dish cloth over the thread tight, and then soaking it in wood glue, then cutting off the excess cloth. Would not survive a trip in the dishwasher, and you'd probably want to have some sort of resin finish.

        Actually, I guess you could stamp a few layers of aluminium foil maybe

      • Dolores [love/loves]
        ·
        3 months ago

        arm-L cafe bustelo mentioned arm-R only cheap coffee that actually fucking tastes like coffee

  • PaX [comrade/them, they/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    Begging someone, anyone to insert genes coding for PETase and MHETase and other plastic-degrading enzymes into some ubiquitous soil bacteria or something and just seed it everywhere

    Maybe horizontal gene transfer can do the rest

    I want to live in a world where single-use plastic packaging is impossible cuz bacteria just eat it in a matter of days or weeks

    Put those fucking biowarfare labs to use, think about how it would econony to your enemies

    Harden your heart and increase your attacks, Putin

  • Fredward [he/him]
    ·
    3 months ago

    this is going to be our version of lead poisoning, isn't it