this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2023
1141 points (97.6% liked)

Memes

44907 readers
2685 users here now

Rules:

  1. Be civil and nice.
  2. Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 139 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Wasn't it also found to be able to pass through the blood-brain barrier?

[–] [email protected] 112 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Correct. Plastic has only existed for 80 years.

[–] [email protected] 108 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, we've really done a fantastic job fucking the world up in the last century. It's truly incredible that in the blink of an eye, we've managed to doom most of the life that exists on our planet.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Wait until we black out the sun to stop the machines that are trying to stop us for plaguing everything.

We all knew Agent Smith was 100% right

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago (7 children)

Gods I hope so. The machines did nothing wrong. We destroyed the world and they gave us paradise.

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 105 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I saw today that they have found that over 80% of the microplastics in the ocean are from automobile tires.

[–] [email protected] 80 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 44 points 10 months ago

Clearly, someone already did, hence the microplastics in a fetus

[–] agentshags 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 91 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Microplastic a found in FUCKING CLOUDS!! That nonsense is absolutely everywhere, and will be there forever. And wherever you go, it’s going to follow you. Rubbish

[–] [email protected] 29 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ah, Japan, the place that wraps individual carrots and other food items in plastic.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 85 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (11 children)

😃 scientists genetically engineer a new bacteria that can digest plastics

😨 the bacteria escaped containment and is spreading prodigiously

[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (10 replies)
[–] [email protected] 72 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I've been reading the wikipedia article, not through all of it yet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microplastics

Some highlights:
Bottled water has much higher microplastics content than tap water.

Coral can ingest microplastics

Waste water treatment plants filter out most (but not all) microbeads into sludge. Some places use that sludge as fertilizer for farms.

Microplastics are in stuff you would not guess. Paper coffee cups have a plastic liner. Clothes put off large amounts of microplastics when washed. Tires put off microplastics. Some exfoliants and other cosmetics contain microplastics as microbeads.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Deep layer ocean sediment surveys in China (2020) show the presence of plastics in deposition layers far older than the invention of plastics

wtfff

[–] flambonkscious 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Maybe there's plastics stuck to the things we detect plastics with?

I should really give the scientist some credit, but I think this is a funnier outcome

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (4 children)

clothes

I'm guessing this is referring to synthetic fibers like acryllic and polyester?

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] bernieecclestoned 71 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Just eat plastic-eating bacteria, problem solved

[–] [email protected] 56 points 10 months ago

Mr. Stark I don’t feel so good

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] BudgetBandit 68 points 10 months ago

You forgot that Japanese scientists found out that microplastics are in clouds ☁️ aswell.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I could totally look this up, but for the sake of conversation: what consequences does the presence of microplastics have? I honestly don't know

[–] [email protected] 95 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That's the problem, we don't really know yet.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 10 months ago (7 children)

And at this point finding a control group that isn't contaminated is incredibly difficult if not impossible

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] [email protected] 29 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

So, the big stink about BPA ~~(a type of plastic)~~ e:below is that it interferes with certain hormones in the body. I don't know for sure what the concerns are with other microplastics, but I do remember reading they strongly suspect they can do similar things to our endocrine systems, as well as being probable carcinogens.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (5 children)

No. BPA is not a type of plastic. It is a compound used to manufacture plastic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

As to the health effects, this is from the wikipedia article:

Concern is mostly related to its estrogen-like activity, although it can interact with other receptor systems as an endocrine-disrupting chemical.

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 59 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I'm sure pro-life people will get right on this

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 36 points 10 months ago (3 children)

What are the long term effects of microplastics on human body?

[–] [email protected] 57 points 10 months ago

As far as we know: almost nothing, but possibly anything. We don’t have an understanding of the effects. So far scientists have said that it could cause lung irritation if airborne, and may have some effect on hormones in the body.

Read: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/microplastics-human-bodies-health-risks

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I think theres no hard evidence that its outright causing stuff, but there's a lot of studies on some correlations. some involve phthalates messing with the male hormones and genitalia for offspring

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The problem is that it's extremely difficult to tease out what the impact is when pretty much everyone is exposed to it and has it in their system. Are there connections between these chemicals and autism or cancer? We are just starting to see the preliminary data on the subject.

For me it's a matter of not being interested in waiting to find out 30 years down the road. My personal belief is that there is no such thing as food safe plastic and especially not when it’s heated or stored for long periods. I believe that there is and will continue to be a concerted effort to downplay any uncovered impact and to ensure till the last second that no steps are taken to regulate the billion dollar plastics/ manufacturing industry. The spice must flow just as the plastics must flow.

Maybe that’s a bit too far in the conspiracy theory vein but name a more iconic duo than large corporations and covering up known flaws and risks for the sake of profit. If nothing else I do not think you lose anything by shifting to glass and certain metals for cooking and storing food. And steps have to be taken to minimize exposure to food packaging that is sprayed with pfas. Looking at you, literally all fast food packaging.

Couple these revelations with what we know about hyper processed foods and it’s no wonder why so many Americans are dumb as Fuck and have so many health problems. We are being poisoned because of our insistence on convenience. We literally have great options for all of these things that are more sustainable and less toxic but we still can’t be inconvenienced by a paper wrapper on a hamburger that might end up a little wet on the ride home.

Of course even with all these steps there’s only so much one can do when you’re literally inhaling plastic from the atmosphere. But it’s certainly a move in the right direction.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago

The rate of plastic trash and especially car treat related microplastic dust blown everywhere is only going up no matter what we know about it. grillman

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (17 children)

What if the perceived increase in numbers of androgenous and trans people has a chemical basis: chemicals from plastics interfering with the endocrine system.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9885170/

[–] [email protected] 48 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Actually, this is genius. Get the right wing climate change deniers to fight climate change by telling them that microplastics will turn their Chad of a son into a sissy girl

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

Haha, somebody go post this information in some right wing forums!

Are micro plastics responsible for your micro penis? Are they responsible for those trans people you seem to be so afraid of? Stop microplasitcs before they stop America from becoming the greatness that it never wasn't!

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This has "they turn the freaking frogs gay" energy

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

Holy shit, how is this not a super high priority right now? Not because of trans people but the conclusion that microplastics interfere with hormones seems super fucked up

load more comments (14 replies)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (3 children)

i mean like....whatever? it's not like i know what it feels like to not have microplastics inside me, so...whatever? nothing i can do. nothing anyone can do. would i be in a better mood or something?

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago (7 children)

Just wait until we starting using these plastic eating bacteria they’ve been working on

• ᴗ •

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Humans had one purpose in the universe - to produce plastic. Mission accomplished.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What about Macroplastics!?

[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago

Where you stuff your LEGO is your business

load more comments
view more: next ›