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Should I worry about microplastics?
These tiny particles are polluting the planet, including our bodies. How bad for us are they really?
These tiny pieces of plastic – the usual definition is anything under 5mm in length – are a by-product of the over-production of synthetic polymers, and there is increasing evidence that they are infiltrating the entire ecosystem. “Links to the carcinogenic potential of microplastics and nanoplastics, which are barely visible to the eye even under a powerful microscope, has been demonstrated in vitro [laboratory test-tubes or similar] in human cells and in vivo [in a living body] for animal and plant models,” says Prof Jo Cable, head of division at the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University. “Further work is needed to determine the effects of this level of exposure – as well as whether microplastics continue accumulating or are eventually expelled from our bodies,” says Cable.
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