Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastics less than 5 mm in length (the average grain of rice is 7 mm in size).
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastics less than 5 mm in length (the average grain of rice is 7 mm in size).
Their small size and lightness in weight grant them free mobility in all mediums: water, land, and air.
This means it is in our food web, which undoubtedly implies microplastics are in us.
Here are some ways that they can harm us.
Microplastics damage the walls of internal organs, and these tears can cause bleeds, leaving our organs vulnerable to various infectious diseases.
Microplastics can be lethal vectors when they transport harmful bacteria and micro-parasites.
Microplastics are known to piggyback on red blood cells, limiting the ability of RBCs to convey oxygen to the body.
The toxic coating on microplastics can leach into the bloodstream. If the microplastics feature metals like cadmium and lead, they can create cancer-causing compounds.
They can also break down further into nanoplastics (<0.001 mm in size). Nanoplastics cause brain cancer, infertility, and hormonal imbalances.
Perhaps the most terrifying fact is that scientists admit that there is so much more that is unknown about the effects of microplastics inside humans.