
Evidence suggests microplastics in water pose ‘minimal health risk’ - onetimemanytime
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49430038
======
vwcx
I think we're all getting comfortable with the idea that humans are now
regularly ingesting and breathing microplastic particulate matter, AND that
we're not dying from the chemical accumulation of these particles.

But that doesn't negate what marine biologists are pointing out with more
urgency: that at the smallest end of the food chain, these particulates are
being mistaken as food, with consequences yet unknown.

More:
[https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/05/micropla...](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/05/microplastics-
impact-on-fish-shown-in-pictures/)

~~~
devoply
In other news plastics often mimic estrogen and sperm count down all over the
world drastically. Plastics need to be simply banned or highly regulated, and
we should also worry about nano particles invading our environment
uncontrollably. We have alternatives and the massive corporations that peddle
most of the food and drink around the world is more than capable of affording
to switch to better alternatives even if it costs them some of their profit.

~~~
hoi
nah, they would pass on the cost to the consumer. The consumer would go for
the cheaper product which would be the manufacturer that uses plastic. So it
would need to be enforced by regulation.

------
vfc1
It's hard to believe that. The cancer rates in wildlife have been increasing
for a reason, and it can only be explained by pollution in general (not micro-
plastics in particular).

The problem is not the microplastics themselves, but the fact that plastic is
a very effective sponge for absorbing all sorts of persistent pollutants.

It's even used to collect pollutant samples, due to its huge absorption
properties. It can't be good that's for sure, and in many cases, it's being
overused.

I'm all for forbidding the use of plastic in many common use cases. My local
supermarket sells packs of 4 peaches in a plastic container, wrapped in a
plastic sheet.

I always have to take the trash out after grocery shopping, due to all the
discarded packages, come on it's ridiculous.

~~~
nemosaltat
Yes, some packaging seems ridiculous but so is food waste. People typically
won’t consume good that doesn’t look appealing, such as bruised peaches in
your example. My wife and I started using Imperfect Produce, and we’ve been
fairly pleased with it as it seems to address both problems.

~~~
tomatocracy
Fruit that doesn't look appealing can be (and is) made into juice which people
are perfectly happy to drink (and other products like that). Isn't that a
better solution?

~~~
leetcrew
depends what stage of distribution you catch "unappealing" fruit. if a peach
gets bruised on the last mile of shipment to Walmart, it's probably not
economic to juice it in the store or ship it back it.

also the supply of unattractive fruit probably exceeds demand for most kinds
of fruit juice. most people I know only buy orange, apple, grape, or cranberry
juice.

~~~
gus_massa
Add marmalade and other typed of conserves and deserts.

------
freebear
[https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/brain-damage-in-
fis...](https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/brain-damage-in-fish-
affected-by-plastic-nanoparticles)

Minimal health risk...

~~~
psychrometer
Humans are not fish.

~~~
fredoliveira
Quick reminder that even though we are not fish, it is an important part of
the food chain.

~~~
psychrometer
The OP is about the health affects of microplastics on humans.

~~~
fredoliveira
Those which will eventually get to us because we eat fish, you mean?

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MrSlovenia
Better question: are we willing to risk it just because some who-know-how-
much-p-hacked study said so?

~~~
Barrin92
to play devil's advocate, yes. people expose themselves voluntarily to
significantly more direct and harmful pollution every year by moving into
urban areas. The economic trade-off of eliminating all the goods that these
plastics are part of would probably find little acceptance

------
rinchik
I think it depends on the source and the quantity "consumed", dihydrogen
monoxide is also harmless in moderate quantities, but extremely dangerous if
it's not sourced properly or "overused" or if a person has an exposure longer
than 5 min while submerged.

------
jacknews
... to humans. directly.

EDIT: (because i don't want to offer a second chance): are you guys that are
down-voting me (a few already) not aware of Schopenhauer?

There is clear evidence of impact in the environment from microplastics.

------
onetimemanytime
Personally I think that in the coming decades we'll find out that something
that made our life "easier" also brought us higher cancer rates, autism,
diabetes etc etc. Life is a trade-off, but as time goes we'll have to choose
the lesser evil. Oh, and I am not rushing to buy early studies...time will
tell.

~~~
Spoppys
Autism rates are stable, and only appear to be increasing due to better
diagnosis. Cancer rates are increasing due to people living longer and cancer
being more common the older you are. Diabetes is up due to obesity being up.

~~~
bencollier49
> Autism rates are stable, and only appear to be increasing due to better
> diagnosis.

Citation?

"Several large studies have suggested that autism rates have risen steadily in
the last 20 years, but this new report suggests that rates may be leveling
off. The ADDM Network’s estimated rates also plateaued between 2010 and 2012
(after increasing roughly 123% between 2002 and 2010), but then jumped 30%
from 2012 to 2014."

The paper goes on to mention both measurement and environmental factors as
potential causes.

~~~
klmr
> _Citation?_

I’ll refer you to the discussion on Wikipedia [1], which is fairly exhaustive.
The long and the short of it is that we don’t know for certain either way, and
all estimates have large uncertainties attached. However, the (tentative)
prevalent opinion amongst experts can be fairly summarised as “The reported
increase is largely attributable to changes in diagnostic practices, referral
patterns, availability of services, age at diagnosis, and public awareness”.
However, it also needs to be said that “largely” here refers to the effect
size: _most_ of the increase is probably not due to actually increased
incidence. But _some_ of it probably is.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_autism#Changes...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_autism#Changes_with_time)

~~~
alexandercrohde
>> But some of it probably is.

So basically you concede the original point then. That environmental factors
may be increasing autism rates.

~~~
klmr
> _So basically you concede the original point then._

I’m not “conceding” anything because I’m not arguing against it (I didn’t
write the grandparent comment). My comment is intended to provide all the
relevant information, not argue against the comment I replied to.

------
gingabriska
How effectively we can seperate microplastics?

Yesterday I was playing around with some PTFE nanopowder and mixed it with
achohol and applied it on my mountain bike chain.

I am wondering if I throw this powder in river, are water cleaning units able
to remove nano particles from the water? Not that I am going to do this, just
curious.

~~~
xzvXSvz
If your filter is fine enough, sure. But then you force higher energy costs to
clean the water.

"Not that I am going to do this," Sure, but eventually you'll wash your chain,
and reapply the powder. So the particles end up in the river anyway.

If you're interested, read up on how PTFE is produced. Specifically the case
in WV and Ohio with DuPont's precursor PTFE plant.

~~~
gingabriska
Unfortunately you are right. But what can be done? There are dry PTFE
lubricants available in market and they work so well compared to traditional
Grease in dusty environment that I don't see people giving up these.

~~~
whenchamenia
Try spray wax. Works amazing on my motorcycle chains, and doesnt fling off or
collect tons of dirt.

That said, motor oil with a brush, wipe it off, ignore dirt between oilings
was shown to be the best for motorcycle chains, not sure about sprockets.

