Microplastics found in human blood for first time | Plastics | The Guardian

Exclusive: The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may lodge in organs

Source: Microplastics found in human blood for first time | Plastics | The Guardian

Opinion:

Now that it’s not just turtles and squids that are affected, maybe people will begin to care.

There have been a few articles suggesting that the bulk of the problem lies in so-called underdeveloped countries ill-equipped or ill-disposed to treat plastic waste with state-of-the-art facilities but this seems a bit misleading.

Countries like the USA and Canada export plastic to these nations, knowing full well that the recycling process is sub-par if anything.

Having said that, it appears that China leads the world in total plastic pollution but not per capita. It’s hard to give a precise account of how much each individual pollutes in a given country because different websites give different data, and most of the data is pretty old.

But honestly, we’re all guilty here.

Throw away those plastic straws for starters. Or no, don’t throw them away. Keep them as a historical artifact. They may be worth something someday. 🔱