Scientists Know Our Bodies Are Full of Microplastics. What Are They Doing To Us? NPR

[appalachiablue]

NPR, Dec. 18, 2024.

It's a disturbing thought: At this very moment, tiny crumbs of plastic are trickling through our bodies, a parade of unwelcome houseguests ready to take up residence in some tissue or organ. A wave of new studies has come out recently, and each one seems to paint an ever more vivid picture of how microplastics — and their smaller counterparts, nanoplastics — have infiltrated the deepest corners of our anatomy.

The lungs, liver and heart, guts and brain, even the testicles and placenta — nothing seems to be spared.

The outpouring of research has brought enormous visibility to how these fragments permeate our daily lives. Long studied in oceans, waterways and marine life, researchers have now shifted focus to human health. A decade ago, Heather Leslie could scarcely find anyone to fund her work in this area. "It seemed like nobody wanted to touch it," says Leslie, a microplastics researcher in the Netherlands whose team was the first to detect these particles in the human bloodstream several years ago.

As the work has gained momentum, so have questions about the damage microplastics could be doing inside of us. Researchers tend to be wary about making pronouncements because the field is still in a "pioneering phase," as Leslie put it. And yet there are undoubtedly concerns. Some of the strongest evidence comes from lab studies using animals as well as what's already known about the damaging effects of chemicals added to plastics.

A review of the data published Wednesday concludes that microplastics are "suspected" to harm human reproductive, digestive and respiratory health, with a possible link to colon and lung cancer. "This is a signal that we should be acting now," says Tracey Woodruff, a senior author on the study who directs the Program on Reproductive Health & the Environment at the University of California, San Francisco. - More,
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/12/18/nx-s1-5227172/microplastics-plastic-nanoparticles-health-pfas

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Soon, scientic data from plastic industry sponsors will tell us the unexpected benefits of plastics contamination

We won't have a government agency to challenge this good news.

[appalachiablue]

3. The scary reality, cover up. Thanks for posting.

[LymphocyteLover]

8. very true... and even if RFK Jr did try to do something about pollution, we all know

those efforts would go nowhere in this administration

[Wicked Blue]

2. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are also extremely worrisome

The corporations dump and spew their wastes, and people and animals suffer.

[appalachiablue]

4. Yes, and this will be ignored even more with the new administration. Look out.

[texasfiddler]

5. Will dropping sperm counts from microplastic pollution benefit our climate pollution crisis?

It is more of an ironic question. Don't take my question too seriously. I believe in science. The educated left doesn't understand my street humor sometimes. Why i don't post too often.

[appalachiablue]

6. I get your point, its not out of the realm of possibility in this threatened world.

[KT2000]

7. I will tell you how this works

We have known for decades that our bodies have all kinds of toxic chemicals in them. We know that some of these go directly to the fetus in cord blood. The response to that is "We don't know what the effect of that is" so nothing is done. This is the call to action for all the corporations, lobbying groups, and professional groups to start organizing. What that means:

Do not support funding and limit funds for research that seeks to find the answers.

Once there exists research suggesting what damage could occur, do not support research that attempts to confirm those findings. In fact, it should be discouraged at all costs.
The research that does have findings must be attacked for the familiar "usual reasons."
In extreme cases, the researchers are attacked personally.

Limiting research occurs through influence on government grants, university grants, and other sources. Corporations have great influence on who gets research monies.
The only way change occurs is when there are mountains of research confirming the same result. Moneyed interests know this and stop it in its tracks.