Apologies all my things are from more medical studies. But we have been saying microplastics are likely to cause genetic damage for a long time even if not exactly how I described. Most of the studies refer to them as genotoxic. Quite curious what exactly they do outside of gumming up the works.
Like nothing I've read actually gets into the nitty gritty of what exactly happens. More how we end up with them in us, a jump from there to them already being in a cell where they can do damage and a list of the damages potentially caused not how it is caused.
Are the compounds in plastics any more toxic than compounds in hydrocarbons previously available throughout our history?
This one feeds some critters to see what they tend to do but as expected it is nothing good. Larger particulate can pass but smaller can stick and cause issue. With potential genetic damage always in the forefront of possibility. Cause genetic damage can cause cancer. www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/12...
Yes a few of them are specifically not good at all for us. Also hydrocarbons are organic. Polymers are not organic, there are no cells yet that can properly break these things down. Every plastic will eventually be a microplastic from erosion. If plastic molded we wouldn't have these issues.
Plastic is convenient but seriously detrimental. The particulate has lifespans in the tens of thousands of years and we produce about 20-40 pounds per person. Single use plastics are a crime against our future generations with the knowledge we currently have.