The Microplastics Curse

The microplastics menace is well and truly going out of control now. Many recent studies have found that microplastics are present in virtually everything, from bottled water to meat and plant-based food. And it is not just a problem for us, but for even the unborn child!

In a study published, a team led by Matthew Campen, PhD, Regents’ Professor in the UNM Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reported finding microplastics in all 62 of the placenta samples tested, with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.

The researchers found the most prevalent polymer in placental tissue was polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles. It accounted for 54% of the total plastics. Polyvinyl chloride (better known as PVC) and nylon each represented about 10% of the total, with the remainder consisting of nine other polymers.

Plastic use worldwide has grown exponentially since the early 1950s, producing a metric ton of plastic waste for every person. About a third of the plastic that has been produced is still in use, but most of the rest has been discarded or sent to landfills, where it starts to break down from exposure to ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight, ending up in groundwater, and sometimes as aerosols.

Researchers say that the growing concentration of microplastics in human tissue might explain puzzling increases in some types of health problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer in people under 50, as well as declining sperm counts.

If we as humanity do not start acting in a responsible manner, this can be totally disastrous for the future of mankind itself. Let’s strive for a “Conscious Planet” where we make responsible choices regarding not just our lives but of all life on this planet.