You are what you eat.

[petemcewan 27]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/22/microplastics-found-in-human-stools-for-the-first-time.

 

A study covering 8 countries in the world.

I wonder what effect the plastic has on our health.

Edited October 23, 2018 by petemcewan

[medusa 16]

There's currently no evidence either way about the potential toxicity or safety of microplastics in the human diet, but is it a surprise that we wear synthetic clothing, use plastics and synthetics in all areas of our life and some of it stays with us?

 

I'd be more worried about the microscopic threads that we breathe into our lungs and sinuses than I would be about how much we ingest, on current available information, but there's a huge amount of work needed to ascertain the relative harmfulness of all sorts of plastics and synthetics before we panic about it all.

[petemcewan 27]

Medusa,

 

I tend to agree with most of what you have written above.

 

I think we should get some giddyup on the research.

 

 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(17)30121-3/fulltext

[steve68 66]

I thought we were largely made up from masses of parasites.

[petemcewan 27]

Steve68,

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body

[macmellus 10]

Steve68,

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body

 

That is on an elemental level. If you go up to the level on which lifeforms exist, I believe most of what we consider our own mass can be considered other lifeforms.

 

---------- Post added 23-10-2018 at 20:18 ----------

 

Ah,yes. Last paragraph in that link says;

 

 

Composition by cell type

Main article: List of distinct cell types in the adult human body

 

There are many species of bacteria and other microorganisms that live on or inside the healthy human body. In fact, 90% of the cells in (or on) a human body are microbes, by number[34][35] (much less by mass or volume). Some of these symbionts are necessary for our health. Those that neither help nor harm humans are called commensal organisms.

[petemcewan 27]

Macmellus,

 

In fact, 90% of the cells in (or on) a human body are microbes,

 

You might be qualified to give an opinion on the following.

 

Are any of those microbes responsible for turning a cell cancerous?

 

Note: Presumably , if plastic gets inside of the cells or the environment within which they exist. The ecological balance-upon which these other lifeforms rely upon -is upset and illness,in the host, will follow.

Edited October 26, 2018 by petemcewan

[macmellus 10]

Macmellus,

 

 

You might be qualified to give an opinion on the following.

 

Are any of those microbes responsible for turning a cell cancerous?

 

Note: Presumably , if plastic gets inside of the cells or the environment within which they exist. The ecological balance-upon which these other lifeforms rely upon -is upset and illness,in the host, will follow.

 

I'm definitely qualified. I got a BS from the University of Lif.

 

I know for a fact that you're probably right, maybe.

[petemcewan 27]

Macmellus,

 

Thanks for the rather cautious analysis.