How microplastics affect our health?

[kenny1999]

Results on Google suggest that the effect is not yet known. Is there any new research or report suggesting other possibilities?

[CharonY]

Not really. We are still in the collecting data phase. There is the worry that bioaccumulation make chronic effects more likely, but so far there is no smoking gun publication (e.g. showing direct effects) nor is the body of evidence (IMO) strong enough to know about likely detrimental effects.

Most evidence that I am aware of are basically showing potential associations or focus on components with somewhat better known detrimental effects (e.g. BPA). I.e. both rely on some level of extrapolation in terms of mechanisms or life-time exposure. That is not to say that there is no effect, but on the other hand there are many other exposures including "forever-chemicals" such as organohalogens, where potential toxicity is better understood.

Also other exposures (e.g. air pollution) which are common but are known to be way more harmful. Microplastics in my mind is a bit of a "hip" topic, but compared to what we already routinely put into our bodies it is not really the most significant one (for now).

[TheVat]

Looks like a couple of threads touching on this.  Also started by Kenny.

https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/127556-microplastics/#comment-1213965

https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/127707-microwaving-plastic-container-and-leaching/#comment-1215888

Seems like a united thread on plastic nanoparticles might be handy, but I'm not really pushing on this.

I agree with Charon that exposures like PFAS, PM 2.5 pollution (both urban and from forest fires) and diesel soot present a more immediate danger to public health.  Some of the effects of plastic nanoparticles may be shown to relate to where you are in the food chain.  For example, I've seen research indicating that more plastic is turning up in seafood than some other meats.  How much of that passes through the walls of intestinal villi, and how much of that makes trouble in our tissues, is an important area of research.  If I were Japanese, or some other group whose main animal protein intake is seafood, I would especially want to know more about the possible longterm effects and what sorts of extrapolation could be made - as Charon noted, more data is needed.

 

 

@CharonY (forgot to tag earlier in post)

[CharonY]

2 minutes ago, TheVat said:

How much of that passes through the walls of intestinal villi, and how much of that makes trouble in our tissues, is an important area of research.  If I were Japanese, or some other group whose main animal protein intake is seafood, I would especially want to know more about the possible longterm effects and what sorts of extrapolation could be made - as Charon noted, more data is needed.

And also note that many of the other contaminants (including PFAS and other organohalogens) have shown to accumulate in wildlife up and including the arctic. Various endocrine disruptors are part of our "regular" food chain, personal care products etc. But again, identifying smoking gungs are tricky here. There are likely some long-term effects, but they will be mixed up with all other aspects (lifestyle, general health status, other environmental exposures, age, risk factors etc.) that it is very, very difficult to assess risk in a detailed level.