this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2025
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I'm ignorant. Have micro plastics been proven to be harmful?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

At the very least, significantly more microplastics were found in corpses of people who had dementia and the volume has increased between 2016 and 2024.

Correlation vs causation will require more research but it surely can't be harmful begin to reduce exposure where we can as we didn't have microplastics resident in our body for most of human history. I'd hazard an educated guess that accumulating any inorganic material inside your body isn't good for you.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

There are hints about them having carcinogen properties and promoting cerebral disorders (they do cross the blood-brain-barrier). But since human health is complex, not much evidence yet.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Yess, as they accumulate in the body at least.

[–] Threeme2189 4 points 5 days ago

How is that proof that they're harmful?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

That's not evidence of anything though.