• ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
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      8 hours 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.

    • pleasestopasking@reddthat.comOP
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      12 hours 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.

      • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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        12 hours 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.

      • Auli@lemmy.ca
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        8 hours ago

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

    • supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz
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      11 hours 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.

      • piecat@lemmy.world
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        11 hours 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.

    • Carvex@lemmy.world
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      11 hours 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.

      • MalReynolds@slrpnk.net
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        2 hours 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…

      • Kühlschrank@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

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

      • bear@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        10 hours ago

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