Category: microplastics

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Research Shows That Microplastics Exist in All of Our Organs

You’ve probably heard about microplastics being present in the atmosphere, in the ocean, in our food, and even in the rain that splatters us on a cooler autumn day. It’s disturbing, and proof of how much of an effect our lifestyle has on our world, even if scientists don’t really know bad it could be for humans in the long run.

Recently, though, a study of cadavers has revealed that the tiny, microscopic plastics can also be found embedded in every last one of our organs.

Image Credit: iStock

The question of how dangerous these things could be, then, becomes even more relevant.

The study was conducted by two University of Arizona PhD students. In it, they examined 47 organ samples, including ones from lungs, livers, spleens, and kidneys that were obtained from a tissue bank that studies neurodegenerative disease.

The samples were put through a mass spectrometer, and every last one of them contained microplastics.

Dozens of different types of plastic were detected, with the most worrying types being polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and Bisphenol A (BPA).

A 2011 study published by NCBI found that all plastic materials contain harmful chemicals, though, and can lead to poor health outcomes like cancer, birth defects, reproductive issues, and the like across the board.

Image Credit: iStock

47 organs is a small sample size, but given that every single organ contained the microplastics, and it’s the first study to provide evidence that they can build up in our bodies, it’s still important.

A 2019 WWF study found that the average human potentially eats arou

nd 2,000 microplastics every single week, and another recent study found about 1,000 tons of them rain down on national parks annually, so it’s not a surprise that they’re floating around inside our bodies.

That said, proof that they’re building up in our organs remains concerning.

Charles Rolsky, a co-author on the new study, made this statement.

“You can find plastics contaminating the environment at virtually every location on the globe, and in a few short decades, we’ve gone from seeing plastic as a wonderful benefit to considering it a threat.

There’s evidence that plastic is making its way into our bodies, but very few studies have looked for it there.

And at this point, we don’t know whether this plastic is just a nuisance or whether it represents a human health hazard.”

The truth is, we have much to learn about these plastics, and how they might affect our bodies going forward.

Image Credit: iStock

The team behind this current study has plans to continue researching potential long term health effects.

Varun Kelkar, another co-author, continued his statement:

“We never want to be alarmist, but it is concerning that these non-biodegradable materials that are present everywhere can enter and accumulate in human tissues, and we don’t know the possible health effects.

Once we get a better idea of what’s in the tissues, we can conduct epidemiological studies to assess human health outcomes. That way, we can start to understand the potential health risks, if any.”

Which is all to say, don’t panic yet, because we don’t have all of the facts.

But also, there’s nothing you can do about it anyway.

The post Research Shows That Microplastics Exist in All of Our Organs appeared first on UberFacts.

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Your Daily Cup of Tea Might Contain Billions of Microplastics

Let’s start off by saying this: there is no science, as of today, that proves (or disproves) that microplastics are harmful to human beings.

As of today is a pretty big qualifier here, though, and most people believe that inhaling, touching, and/or ingesting tiny plastics all day every day can’t be the best thing in the world.

So your tea? It might be trouble, my friends.

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PLASTIC FREE TEA ANYONE? ?‍♀️?‍♂️? . For any tea lovers, we always recommend to have your tea loose and brewed with stainless steel (or other food-grade metals), glass, or ceramic strainer. . Why? Because most of the tea bags sold in the stores are made of plastics and they are releasing billions of micro & nano plastics when came in contact with hot water. Afterall, all we want is a nice cup of tea, not a cup of microplastic brew, don't we? . Both loose tea (with many variants!) and stainless steel tea strainer are available in our stores. You can pop by to see our selections or simply visit our web to have yours delivered right to your doors with our #refillservice! Ps. Keep an eye out on tomorrow #igstories as I will be heading to one of our organic tea garden supplier ? . ? @easyecotips . #zerowastebali #zerowastefacts #plasticfacts #plasticteabags #breakfreefromplastic #balibulkfood #loosetea #naturaltea #plasticfree #teaaddict #tealover

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Recently, many tea manufacturers have begun replacing paper teabags with plastic (silken) ones that are both terrible for the environment and, it turns out, capable of releasing loads of microplastics.

Microplastic particles are around 100 nanometers to 5 millimeters in size, and when they get into your teach, you eat them.

The report was published in Environmental Science & Technology by researchers from McGill University in Montreal, and their findings came from examining 4 different types plastic teabags. They heated the bags in water around 200 degrees F (after emptying the bags of tea) and then used electron microscopes to analyze the contents of the water.

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Tea drinkers beware!! Coincidently after drinking this tea last night (a single bag in my tea collection), and article came out today about how some tea bags are made with plastic, and that at a brewing temperature of 95 degrees releases 11.6 billion microplastics into a single cup. ?While the #worldhealthorganization says there is no evidence of microplastic having health risks for humans?a research team from McGill University in Montreal ??believes more research has to be done. (We agree!!!) Just because there is no ‘evidence’ – we’ve seen the effects on marine life…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine this certainly can’t be a good thing!! I’m going to stay away from plastic tea bags (#Teavana, #Tazo) and check for compostable tea bags – thankfully my normal brands(#traditionalmedicinals, #numitea, #yogitea, #stashtea and others, check packaging!!) or use loose leaf in a metal infuser…?just in case?Full article : https://www.newscientist.com/article/2217483-plastic-tea-bags-shed-billions-of-microplastic-particles-into-the-cup/ #beachrelief #tea #plasticteabags #compostableteabags #teatime #cupofplastic #cupoftea

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An average of 11.6 billon microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics were in the water.

The bags are made of a blend of nylon and polyethylene, a form of plastic that’s also found in water bottles.

Like I said up front, the potential effects on human health aren’t known, and the WHO has said that microplastics in drinking water probably won’t harm our bodies…at least not “based on the limited information we have.”

“To date, the health effects of consuming micro- and nanoplastics to humans are still unknown, while the sublethal effects observed in the present study and in other animals (e.g. algae, zooplankton, fish, mice) give an early warning of both environmental risk and possible human health risk,” say the researchers.

That said, scientists around the world have concerns.

“One of the main potential human exposure pathways of micro- and nanoplastics is likely via ingestion, and particle uptake may occur in the digestive tract. Once inside the digestive tract, cellular uptake and subcellular translocation or localization of the ingested particles may occur.”

If you want to try avoiding microplastics just in case, well, good luck. They’re everywhere, from rainwater to snow, in your food, your water, the soil, and so on.

A 2019 study found that the average American consumes over 74,000 of the particles every year.

Which I guess wasn’t accounting for any cups of tea consumed.

I guess we’ll find out eventually whether they’re harmful or not. Hopefully not in the worst way possible.

The post Your Daily Cup of Tea Might Contain Billions of Microplastics appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Isn’t Good…Microplastics Are Falling from the Arctic Sky

Do you know about microplastics?

Microplastics are defined as any plastic fragment less than 5 millimeters in length, and at this point they have been found in every corner of the globe. They come from any number of sources – from rubber tires to paint and cosmetics to toothpaste tubes and synthetic clothing – and the ubiquitous nature of them in the environment has scientists worried about harm.

In fact, they are so ubiquitous at this point, that they’ve been documented falling with snow in the Arctic…even though there’s practically no people there.

A new report in Science Advances documents tiny plastic fibers found across two dozen Northern Hemisphere locations, from the remote Arctic ice to the Swiss Alps. Perhaps most concerning was finding that the “pristine” Arctic snow contained up to 14,400 microplastic particles per liter (snow in parts of rural Bavaria, in southern Germany, contained up to 154,000 ppl).

Because they’ve been found falling from the sky, there’s now a question of whether people might be breathing microplastics. Though scientists are currently uncertain what, if any, impact inhaling (inhaling!) them could have on humans and other wildlife, there have been plenty of documented cases of marine life ingesting larger plastic pieces to extreme detriment, and that might definitely lead one to worry, says Dr. Melanie Bergmann.

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Clearly there is no place on Earth that micro-plastic can not reach – having been repeatedly found in seawater, drinking water and all species of animals. But these minute particles are also transported by the atmosphere and subsequently washed out of the air – especially by snow – in remote regions of the Planet – such as the Arctic and the Alps. This was demonstrated in a study conducted by experts at the Alfred Wegener Institute which recently published their finding in the journal Science Advances. It would be interesting to discover how much micro-plastic is ingested by humans and the amount retained in our bodies during ones lifespan. #microplastics #environment #planetearth #awarenessbuilding #alfredwegenerinstitut

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“To date, there are virtually no studies investigating the extent to which human beings are subject to microplastic contamination. But once we’ve determined that large quantities of microplastic can also be transported by the air, it naturally raises the question as to whether and how much plastic we’re inhaling.”

Now that microplastics have fallen with the snow in the most remote Arctic locations, there can be no doubt that our addiction to plastics out of control. And if that’s not disturbing enough, we’re almost definitely breathing in small fibers every single day.

The pieces of plastic found in the study ranged from 11 micrometers to 5 millimeters and consisted of rubber, varnishes, and other forms of plastic.

Like plant pollen, the tiny fibers are swept up into the air where they tumble along in currents that flow from one end of the earth to the other, only to fall down with the rain or snow wherever it washes onto the earth.

Which is to say, we can’t escape the problem we’ve created.

The only question left is, how much is it hurting us?

The post This Isn’t Good…Microplastics Are Falling from the Arctic Sky appeared first on UberFacts.

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New Study Finds Your Bottled Water May Be Dirtier Than You Think

A lot of people believe that paying money for bottled water is a better idea than drinking tap water. Some believe it’s actually healthier for them, while others might insist that it’s cleaner. While there can be some truth to this (if you live in Flint, MI, for instance), a recent study may have consumers thinking twice about how much they spend on bottled water in the future.

The study tested 259 bottles across 11 brands and 9 countries (including the United States) and found that 93% of the tested bottles contained microplastics – around 10.4 plastic particles per liter of water.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

In case you’re wondering, that’s twice the amount of contamination found in most tap water, according to an Orb Media investigation.

Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, including the plastic used to make some of the bottle caps. Researcher Sherri Mason told AFP “I think that most of the plastic that we are seeing is coming from the bottle itself, it is coming from the cap, it is coming from the industrial process of bottling the water.”

Even though research shows that microplastics can be harmful to marine life, it’s unclear whether or not they have similar effects on humans – they’re found in other edible products, like fish and shellfish, and in tap water, and a recent study found that they’re absolutely making their way into humans, too.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Mason continued:

“There are connections to increases in certain kids of cancer to lower sperm count to increases in conditions like ADHD and autism. We know that they are connected to these synthetic chemicals in the environment and we know that plastics are providing kind of a means to get those chemicals into our bodies.”

Joe Doss, the President of the International Bottled Water Association, cautions that the study hasn’t been peer reviewed and should be taken with a grain of salt until it is.

“Consumers can remain confident that bottled water products, like all food and beverages, are strictly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and, thus, are safe for consumption,” Doss said in a statement. “The bottled water industry is committed to providing consumers with the safest and highest quality products.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The World Health Organization confirmed to BBC that they will be conducting a review into the potential risks posed by microplastics found in bottled water.

Until then…I don’t know. Buy a filtered pitcher or bottle? Switch to Gatorade? Drink from the tap? Your choice!

The post New Study Finds Your Bottled Water May Be Dirtier Than You Think appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

New Study Finds Your Bottled Water May Be Dirtier Than You Think

A lot of people believe that paying money for bottled water is a better idea than drinking tap water. Some believe it’s actually healthier for them, while others might insist that it’s cleaner. While there can be some truth to this (if you live in Flint, MI, for instance), a recent study may have consumers thinking twice about how much they spend on bottled water in the future.

The study tested 259 bottles across 11 brands and 9 countries (including the United States) and found that 93% of the tested bottles contained microplastics – around 10.4 plastic particles per liter of water.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

In case you’re wondering, that’s twice the amount of contamination found in most tap water, according to an Orb Media investigation.

Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, including the plastic used to make some of the bottle caps. Researcher Sherri Mason told AFP “I think that most of the plastic that we are seeing is coming from the bottle itself, it is coming from the cap, it is coming from the industrial process of bottling the water.”

Even though research shows that microplastics can be harmful to marine life, it’s unclear whether or not they have similar effects on humans – they’re found in other edible products, like fish and shellfish, and in tap water, and a recent study found that they’re absolutely making their way into humans, too.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Mason continued:

“There are connections to increases in certain kids of cancer to lower sperm count to increases in conditions like ADHD and autism. We know that they are connected to these synthetic chemicals in the environment and we know that plastics are providing kind of a means to get those chemicals into our bodies.”

Joe Doss, the President of the International Bottled Water Association, cautions that the study hasn’t been peer reviewed and should be taken with a grain of salt until it is.

“Consumers can remain confident that bottled water products, like all food and beverages, are strictly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and, thus, are safe for consumption,” Doss said in a statement. “The bottled water industry is committed to providing consumers with the safest and highest quality products.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The World Health Organization confirmed to BBC that they will be conducting a review into the potential risks posed by microplastics found in bottled water.

Until then…I don’t know. Buy a filtered pitcher or bottle? Switch to Gatorade? Drink from the tap? Your choice!

The post New Study Finds Your Bottled Water May Be Dirtier Than You Think appeared first on UberFacts.