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For anyone else wondering what effect microplastics actually have on the human body, it looks like the effects are still up in the air. Animal studies [0] show

For anyone else wondering what effect microplastics actually have on the human body, it looks like the effects are still up in the air. Animal studies [0] show that microplastics can be taken up by tissue and circulation, and they are also present in the air [1]. Not sure what impact drinking bottled water would have on concentration inside the body. I couldn't find any long term studies on their effect on cancer, which is my main concern for any foreign contaminant entering the body. Food (or drink :) for thought! [0] https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ieam.5630030412 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ieam.5... [1] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-71279-6_13 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-71279-6_...

bdamm 9y ago
Cancer is obviously no good, but other terrible life damaging consequences can also happen. Witness lead poisoning, with its reduced IQ and tendency towards violence for people who've ingested or breathed in lead. Also bad would be clogging of capillaries and causing some strange diabetes, with subsequent organ damage. Reduced fertility is another concerning type of biological damage. All of these are life-changing and won't kill you on short order. I think these kinds of damages are more pernicious as they're less obvious but still impact your quality of life, and maybe more so than living in a developing country.
hinkley 9y ago
We know that a lot of nasty (carcinogenic) chemicals will bond to plastics, poisoning any animal that ingests it. If you can't get the plastics out of the water you can't get the other chemicals out, because the plastic has already grabbed it.
- hinkley 9y ago
  Citation for downvoters: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23270427 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23270427

bdamm 9y ago

Cancer is obviously no good, but other terrible life damaging consequences can also happen. Witness lead poisoning, with its reduced IQ and tendency towards violence for people who've ingested or breathed in lead. Also bad would be clogging of capillaries and causing some strange diabetes, with subsequent organ damage. Reduced fertility is another concerning type of biological damage. All of these are life-changing and won't kill you on short order. I think these kinds of damages are more pernicious as they're less obvious but still impact your quality of life, and maybe more so than living in a developing country.

hinkley 9y ago

We know that a lot of nasty (carcinogenic) chemicals will bond to plastics, poisoning any animal that ingests it. If you can't get the plastics out of the water you can't get the other chemicals out, because the plastic has already grabbed it.

hinkley 9y ago
Citation for downvoters: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23270427 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23270427