MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024 - MICROPLASTICS

 MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024 - A WEEK AHEAD

DO YOU HAVE TAXES DONE? They are due today (unless you file an extension).

Next Monday is Earth Day.  The theme this year is “Planet versus Plastic.”

Let’s start early on Earth Day (and plastics).

The National Institutes of Health says:

“Yes, microplastics have been found in human blood. One study found that over three-quarters of blood samples contained a measurable amount of plastic particles. Researchers also found PET, the material most drink bottles are made from, in the blood of more than half of the people tested.

“However, the health effects of microplastics are still largely unknown. Some scientists have been concerned about their health effects for about 20 years. A recent review suggests that blood circulation transports microplastics throughout the body. However, just because microplastics accumulate doesn't mean they cause harm.

Recent research has indicated a potential link between microplastics in blood vessels and an increased risk of stroke. The study found that the more plastic a person had, the higher their blood levels of inflammatory markers, which are known to contribute to the build-up of fatty plaques in blood vessels, potentially leading to a blood clot. 

Other health effects of microplastic exposure include:

Coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath due to inflammation and damage

Fatigue and dizziness due to low blood oxygen concentration

Mitochondrial damage in human respiratory cells

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WHOA
 

Are there microplastics in my blood?  And it could cause a stroke or a blood clot?  

Again, the NIH (National Institutes of Heath) says:

“Microplastics are tiny plastic particles salt, animals, and humans. Humans are exposed to microplastics through the use of plastic products and paint fragments that have entered the environment. 

“According to Statista, the average person eats, drinks, and breathes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles yearly. Scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands say that humans can ingest up to 100,000 microplastic particles per day depending on exposure. 

“Microplastics can be found in every organ, including blood, lungs, stools, and placentas. However, research on how they impact human health is limited.

TIME OUT!!

The average person eats, drinks, and breathes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles yearly.  REALLY?

I don’t know if 78,000 microplastic particles would add up to (say), a cubic centimeter of plastics through my body.  

Some scientists have estimated the average person might eat 5 grams of microplastics in a week—about the weight of a credit card.  So, in 52 weeks in a year, I’m eating about 52 credit cards worth of plastics?

Another study breaks that down to 52,000 particles annually from various food sources. These figures, which only consider microplastic particles, are likely underestimated, says Phoebe Stapleton, PhD, an assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University. “Nano-sized plastic particles are significantly harder to identify, and thereby quantify,” so they’re often unaccounted for, she says.

Other studies show that microplastics can potentially cause cancer. Two studies have associated exposure to high concentrations of PVC microplastic dust particles with an increased risk of lung cancer. Other studies have shown that microplastic exposure can promote the proliferation of skin cancer cells while inhibiting the growth of normal skin cells.

It's in our air, so we are breathing in microplastics. Cows, chickens, pigs, etc., get grass (hay, etc.) that has microplastics.

It gets in the water supply - so fish have microplastics.  

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So, we have all this plastic in our bodies, and we don’t really know what to do with it!

Should we cut out ALL PLASTICS?

As I write today, my desk is covered in some plastic things.  I have a baggie full of colored pencils (the bag is plastic).  There are so many plastic things.  I have a magnifying glass that has a plastic handle.  My computer cables are covered in plastic so they aren’t easily managed.  

Not much in my apartment or my life - doesn’t have plastic (or … microplastics.) 

YOWIE!!!

I guess I’ll be looking at plastics this week - in preparation for Earth Day next Monday.

 

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LOVE WINS

AND … to my understanding, LOVE doesn’t have any microplastics in it

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Love can transform the plastic in my body into cheese (or something).  

Karen Anne White, ©, April 15, 2024