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submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 26 points 4 days ago

Microplastics cause neurological damage and anti social violent behavior?

[-] [email protected] 29 points 4 days ago

We don't know about the longer term consequences yet, just like we didn't about lead.

Not saying it's a definite but I wouldn't be surprised.

[-] [email protected] 40 points 4 days ago

No, people knew lead was poisonous even back near Roman days. Though just like how humans constantly do stupid things for some benefit, they kept using it as a sweetener for ages.

Also mercury in relation to, "as mad as a hatter". It's just mercury was very good for the job.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago

To play devil's advocate, we always knew lead was toxic, but we didn't know the only healthy dose was 0

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Yes, but plastic is a very new invention and a lot less studied than something like Pb or Hg, which are natural elements.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Natural in no way what so ever should imply more healthy. Especially in the context of lead and mercury.

In a similar vein, asbestos is "all natural", especially compared to fiber glass and foam, but it's still unhealthy as fuck.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Not sure where I said natural = better. All I said was natural things are generally more studied because they existed for lot longer.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

It's existed long enough that serious effects would've been obvious by now. Multiple generations have already passed. Multiple. It is already clearly not as serious as lead or mercury regardless of what effects are found.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

But we know plastic is inert and we knew about lead.

[-] [email protected] -4 points 4 days ago

plastic is inert

wat? In no way is it inert.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Plastic has been around for 80 years. Shouldn't we know something by now

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

If it was going to be as bad as fearmongers want it to be, absolutely.

[-] [email protected] 11 points 4 days ago

We are just beginning to understand how much the chemical Imbalances that lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders originate in the digestive tract and how microplastics from food may disrupt the processing of these chemicals.

[-] [email protected] 10 points 4 days ago

I don't think the impacts of microplastics are quite as catastrophic, they can't be or we would already know.

Which isn't to say they aren't bad just damn lead is realllly bad.

[-] [email protected] 21 points 4 days ago

The concentration of them is rising exponentially, that's the part that terrifies me.

It's possible we just haven't crossed a threshold yet.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

My non-professional guess is that microplastics will eventually sterilize us by disrupting our sperm's ability to function properly. Only the wealthy can afford the medical procedures to bypass this.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago

Maybe kids will need to be carefully sheltered from plastics until they are old enough to freeze their sperm.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago

this reads like the next step is to force them to freeze theirs

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

No, this will likely just be for the rich.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago

It'll end up blocking vital neurotransmitters leaving us zombified and giving us an insatiable craving for brains

[-] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago

'Twould be sweet irony and a blessing for the earth.

Although the best method for removing it I've found is donating plasma (PFAs down 30% in 6 months of regular donation, the hope is nanoplastics are also removed...) so it might be the poors (in USA) and generous that get to have kids, so that's nice...

this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2025
575 points (97.1% liked)

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