4 ms·

Plastic food containers aren't even close to being the largest source of microplastics. Synthetic fibres in clothing (like that cotton-poly blend shirt you're

Plastic food containers aren't even close to being the largest source of microplastics. Synthetic fibres in clothing (like that cotton-poly blend shirt you're most likely wearing) and motor vehicle tyres are some of the bigger sources. These both also release particles directly into the atmosphere allowing them to get absolutely everywhere, unlike plastic in landfills that probably has a harder time escaping into the wider environment.

bhouston 3y ago
> Plastic food containers aren't even close to being the largest source of microplastics. Can you give me some citations? I know that microwaving plastic containers is about the worst thing you can do with regards to microplastics, because it releases tons of them right into your food: https://www.wired.com/story/for-the-love-of-god-stop-microwaving-plastic/ https://www.wired.com/story/for-the-love-of-god-stop-microwa...
- epcoa 3y ago
  Both that headline and article are cringeworthy. You can’t extrapolate a bunch of flawed experiments like that to anything real. This is a hot area of research but that means it’s a hotbed of flawed and sensationalist research. Dunking embryonic cells in a bath of ridiculous concentrations of nanoplastic chemicals and watching them die is cute and a tired, stupid trick. If you put any of your cells in your favorite drinking water they’re going to lyse. It doesn’t prove shit.
- usuallyalurker 3y ago
  For synthetic fibres : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/ For tyre particulate : https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/101707/9/Tyre%20wear%20particles%20are%20toxic%20for%20us%20and%20the%20environment%200223-2.pdf https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/101707/9/Tyr...
pizzaknife 3y ago
i would love a citation related to the polyblend tshirt. I absolutely love them but if its poisoning me more significantly than microwaving food in plastic containers, i will gladly return to hemp
- usuallyalurker 3y ago
  Here : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/
  - pizzaknife 3y ago
    Ooof. back to hemp it is. edit: thank you, sincerely, for this.
lukas099 3y ago
I think bhouston is talking more about poisoniing one’s own body with microplastics, whereas you’re talking about polluting the environment.
- Matticus_Rex 3y ago
  I'd guess he knows that. But we do live in the environment, and if they go into the environment they go into the food chain, no?
  - f1refly 3y ago
    The boat has been towed out of the environment!

bhouston 3y ago

> Plastic food containers aren't even close to being the largest source of microplastics. Can you give me some citations? I know that microwaving plastic containers is about the worst thing you can do with regards to microplastics, because it releases tons of them right into your food: https://www.wired.com/story/for-the-love-of-god-stop-microwaving-plastic/ https://www.wired.com/story/for-the-love-of-god-stop-microwa...

epcoa 3y ago
Both that headline and article are cringeworthy. You can’t extrapolate a bunch of flawed experiments like that to anything real. This is a hot area of research but that means it’s a hotbed of flawed and sensationalist research. Dunking embryonic cells in a bath of ridiculous concentrations of nanoplastic chemicals and watching them die is cute and a tired, stupid trick. If you put any of your cells in your favorite drinking water they’re going to lyse. It doesn’t prove shit.
usuallyalurker 3y ago
For synthetic fibres : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/ For tyre particulate : https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/101707/9/Tyre%20wear%20particles%20are%20toxic%20for%20us%20and%20the%20environment%200223-2.pdf https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/101707/9/Tyr...

pizzaknife 3y ago

i would love a citation related to the polyblend tshirt. I absolutely love them but if its poisoning me more significantly than microwaving food in plastic containers, i will gladly return to hemp

usuallyalurker 3y ago
Here : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4426466/
- pizzaknife 3y ago
  Ooof. back to hemp it is. edit: thank you, sincerely, for this.

lukas099 3y ago

I think bhouston is talking more about poisoniing one’s own body with microplastics, whereas you’re talking about polluting the environment.

Matticus_Rex 3y ago
I'd guess he knows that. But we do live in the environment, and if they go into the environment they go into the food chain, no?
- f1refly 3y ago
  The boat has been towed out of the environment!