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Researchers don’t yet know how dangerous tiny plastics are for human health. In a large review published in 2019, the World Health Organization said there wasn’
by avsteele 3y ago
Researchers don’t yet know how dangerous tiny plastics are for human health. In a large review published in 2019, the World Health Organization said there wasn’t enough firm evidence linking microplastics in water to human health, but described an urgent need for further research
Finding a connection between microplastics and health problems in humans is complicated — there are thousands of types of plastics, and over 10,000 chemicals used to manufacture them. But at a certain point, Mason said, policymakers and the public need to prepare for the possibility that the tiny plastics in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the clothes we wear have serious and dangerous effects.
If the negative effects were very strong they would probably have found evidence in previous studies. There may be something here, but it isn't something worth worrying about much.
- kromem 3y agoIt took decades before there was finally the evidence we have today of the social impacts of leaded gasoline. Sometimes problems have such a broad scope that the impacts are normative across samples and analysis is very difficult. For example, we know something is at fault for why developed nations have such high and growing autoimmune diseases compared to less developed nations. But specifically what the culprit is eludes us. An argument from silence isn't a very compelling argument for the safety of microplastics.
- bheadmaster 3y ago> It took decades before there was finally the evidence we have today of the social impacts of leaded gasoline. True, but how many other things were hypothesized to be harmful, and turned out harmless? Can we even know the difference between the two beforehand? In order to worry about something, you need evidence of harm. If you worry without evidence, you worry about everything.
- j-bos 3y agoI don't think it's much of a stretch to be concerned about the presence of a relatively new set of compounds in one's drinking water.
- bheadmaster 3y agoThere are quite a bit of new stuff around us. Remember when people were afraid of electromagnetic radiation from phones?
- avsteele 3y agoIf you are referring to the lead-crime hypothesis That isn't exactly a consensus view. Putting that aside... I wonder if researchers looking for damage from leaded gasoline for those decades? We have been using these types of plastic for a very long time.
- kromem 3y agoI mean, meta-analyses continue to come out supporting it... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10393136/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10393136/