Microplastics Infiltrating Brain Tissue, Studies. 'Nowhere Left Untouched.' Accumulation in Human Organs

[appalachiablue]

The Guardian, Aug. 21, 2024. Edit. 24 brain samples collected in early 2024 measured on average about 0.5% plastic by weight.
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A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution. Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastics in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow. “It is now imperative to declare a global emergency” to deal with plastic pollution, said Sedat Gündoğdu, who studies microplastics at Cukurova Univ. in Turkey.

Humans are exposed to microplastics – defined as fragments smaller than 5mm in diameter – and the chemicals used to make plastics from widespread plastic pollution in air, water and even food. "There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with" - Matthew Campen, Univ. of New Mexico. The health hazards of microplastics within the human body are not yet well-known. Recent studies are just beginning to suggest they could increase the risk of various conditions such as oxidative stress, which can lead to cell damage and inflammation, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Animal studies have also linked microplastics to fertility issues, various cancers, a disrupted endocrine and immune system, and impaired learning and memory.

There are currently no governmental standards for plastic particles in food or water in the U.S. The EPA is working on crafting guidelines for measuring them, and has been giving out grants since 2018. Finding microplastics in more and more human organs “raises a lot of concerns”, given what we know about health effects in animals, studies of human cells in the lab, and emerging epidemiological studies, said Bethanie Carney Almroth at the Univ. of Gothenburg in Sweden. The Journal of Hazardous Materials published a study that found microplastics in all 16 samples of bone marrow examined.

All samples contained polystyrene, used to make packing for peanuts and electronics, and almost all contained polyethylene, used in clear food wrap, detergent bottles and other common household products. Another recent paper looking at 45 patients undergoing hip or knee surgery in Beijing, China, found microplastics in the membranous lining of every single hip or knee joint examined. A handful of studies have also now found contamination in human placentas.

“There’s nowhere left untouched from the deep sea to the atmosphere to the human brain,” Almroth said...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/21/microplastics-brain-pollution-health
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- What are phthalates? EWG/Environmental Working Group.

Phthalates are a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These chemicals are associated with health harms, including increased risk of cancer, asthma and allergies, and learning attention and behavioral difficulties in children.
They are found in many consumer products, including paint, plastics, fragrance and personal care products, such as nail polish...Read More,
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2023/07/what-are-phthalates

[Butterflylady]

1. That's why I now use glass containers and never reheat....

Anything in old plastic containers.

[appalachiablue]

2. Same here, plastic toxins everywhere - in containers, toys, shower curtains, shampoo, dust..

Last edited Wed Aug 21, 2024, 05:13 PM - Edit history (1)

* EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning
https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/

[appalachiablue]

4. One Word - 'Plastic.' 1967 movie, The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman

‘The Graduate’: My Introduction to Pollution by Plastic. April 12, 2018, David Klement.

.. Reflecting on that plastic pollution reminded me of the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” which starred a young Dustin Hoffman as the recent college graduate.
To me, the most memorable dialogue in the movie was not in the iconic seduction scene, where Mrs. Robinson and Benjamin (played by Hoffman) engage in some hot-and-heavy banter about . . .you know. . .The Graduate
Just one word …

No, it’s the scene where Benjamin is getting some career advice from Mr. McGuire, a business acquaintance of the young man’s father. Here’s the scene:

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.

Benjamin: Yes, sir.

Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?

Benjamin: Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean?

Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?

Plastics! That one line says it all about our naivete’ toward the seemingly miracle synthetic polymer material that became wildly popular in the 1960s. There seemed to be no end to the uses to which plastic could be put to make our lives better in that innocent era.

Hence, Mr. McGuire’s view of that as a promising career for a recent college graduate.

Suddenly, Plastic Was Everywhere...

https://plasticoceans.org/graduate-introduction-plastic-pollution/

[Elessar Zappa]

3. Impossible to avoid at this point.

May be responsible for the increase in cancer these past ten years.