Are microplastics really in everything – even my brain? | Well actually

What is careful plastic?
MicroPlastics Small particles of plastic.
Usual identification Anything less than 5 mm in length or rice grain diameter.
Where do you come from careful plastic?
It may be the strict plastic It was built and deliberately added To consumer products, such as small beads in the scrub in the face and body, or form when larger plastic elements decompose over time.
Initial microblids are made of this size – for example, in industrial or commercial exfoliators Cosmetics products Contains microbes.
Secondary fine plastic comes from a collapse More plastic materials Such as the water bottles are not provided, packaging, straw, car tires or games.
Read more about where careful plastic comes from here.
Is the exact plastic bad for you?
Destit plastic everywhere, but their health risks within the human body are largely unknown. However, the spread of exact plastic in human organs is the cause of anxiety among researchers. Studies indicate that they can increase the risk of developing different conditions such as Oxidal stress or cardiovascular disease.
Stephanie Wright, Environmental Poison Specialist at Imperial College, London, Tell the trustee Despite the lack of epidemiological and land data, it is possible that “generally reduce particle exposure (including fine plastic) is useful.”
Animal studies have linked strict plastic to fertility issues, various cancers, endocrine, disrupted immunity, poor learning and memory.
Read more about how to reduce your exposure to accurate plastic here.
Do you leave the strict plastic your body?
It is not known for the duration of which the exact plastic remains in the body before it is secreted. But exact plastic was found in TubeThis means that at least some plastic is secreted, while some accurate plastic accumulated within the physical organs. studies It also showed Microleum plastic can be passed from pregnant people to the placenta.
Is the exact plastics the same as Pfas?
no. Mache plastic is small fragments and plastic spots less than 5 mm. PFAS, or individual and polyocyleIt is the term as an umbrella for a family of thousands of chemicals that have its insecure and non -destructive properties.
It can take hundreds, if not thousands, from the years that collapse after dumping, and can leak into the soil or water and stay there for centuries.
But like a fine plastic, PFAS is everywhere and may pose health risks.
Read more about pFas here.
Where is the exact plastic found?
In short: everywhere.
People consume small plastic particles in food (Includes Seafood), waterand tea and Breathe.
It has been found in Human bloodand semenand Lungsand Breast milkand Bone marrowand Placentaand Testicles and brain.
These small plastic pieces are found in the air, soiland far and Deep ocean environmentsin Cloudsin Antarctica snow On top Mount Everest.
They pushed their spread to researchers to invite more study and procedures to reduce plastic pollution.
Is it possible to remove the exact plastic from the water?
According to one of the review studies, independent tests in many fine plastic countries found in almost All drinking water samples have been testedAnd other research The average person who accommodates about 4000 particles in drinking water is estimated annually. circumference The lake samples also found delicate plastic, and sometimes in “Unexual Life” levels.
Because it is very small plastic, it is difficult to remove it. Wastewater filtering practices Pick up some particles. Researchers have explored innovative ways to do so. For example, in 2021, a team of researchers designed a Biblical membrane This accurate plastic can wear for easier removal – although it was just a preliminary experience. Another research team invented Sponge That removed up to 99.9 % of the plastic in the test, though again, not widely.
How to avoid delicate plastic in your clothes
Plastic Everywhere in fashion – including Pleather, or vegetable skin, and difficult in cases, such as microscopic plastic that climbs from artificial fabrics.
Polyester and nylon, both of them are common plastic materials, are approximately 70 % of all materials used in clothes. The microscopic fibers, which are usually falling from synthetic materials, are an important contribution to the pollution of accurate plastic.
Here’s how to avoid plastic in clothes:
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Always check the welfare labelShe looks forward to avoiding joint perpetrators such as nylon, acrylic and elastin. Look for unfamiliar fabrics online and set the priorities of brands that use natural materials.
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For buttons used on clothesLook for that made of Nut Corozo or wood, and for the prints and eyes made of metal. Zips is often placed in a plastic texture, so if you want to avoid accurate plastic, avoid clothes with zips wherever possible.
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Materials that create hardness and reinforcements In clothes often contain plastic, such as filling in the bra. But the simplest piece, the more plastic avoids.
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Lining It often contains polyester and nylon. Look for silk or silk Ryun.
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Sequins and beads are almost always plastic. The sequins can be made from recycled PET, but it is still possible to storm accurate plastic. Avoid buying them to start or make sure the elements are repaired regularly so that the edges of the plastic do not fall.
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Vegetable leather Fu It contains artificial ingredients and fine plastic shed. The real leather – including the abundance of old skin pieces – is a durable and incredibly repaired material that should last for years, if carefully carefully.
Read more about hidden plastic in our clothes – and how to avoid them here.
How to avoid fine plastic in your kitchen
It is possible that the highest exposure to delicate plastic comes from food, bottled drinks and treated drinks. I saw , Environmental Toxicologist. The threat of a fine plastic shed increases when plastic is exposed to heat.
Avoid Heat anything in plastic Or drink hot liquids that were exposed to plastic, such as the available coffee cup. A A recent study I found that when the hot fluid is poured into a cup of coffee for one use, it can throw trillions of plastic parts.
Good news for consumers is that almost every plastic kitchen product – including coffee makers and tea bags – He has Safety, glass, silicone or stainless steel substitute.
When it is time to replace a spoon, try wood, stainless steel, or silicon instead. Avoid plastic pieces and instead chose one of one piece of wood that has not been glued (where glue can contain formaldehyde) which is incomplete or treated with safe finishing, such as beeswax or fragmented coconut oil.
When it comes to storing food, Choose glass containers. Instead of the plastic cover, look for paper or non -pesticide paper that uses soywax.
What do you do about plastic pollution
The World Economic Forum classified pollution between it 10 largest global risks. only 9 % of virgin plastic is recycledAccording to the 2017 scientific paper. The remaining plastic is burned or accumulated in waste burials, where it can then leak into the environment.
He said that the most dependent procedure to contain the “global plastic crisis” will be a hat for plastic production, Dr. Philip LandriganAnti -plastic lawyer. While some plastic materials are necessary for use in the fields of engineering or medicine, Landrigan calls for reducing “stupid plastic materials”-or one-use elements.
As of 2023, a single -use plastic materials formed 40 % of more than 400 meters of plastic produced each year. Production is only moreWith the 2022 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), production is on the 360 -year road.