93% Of People Have BPA In Their Urine

30/01/2023

Microplastics are pieces smaller than 5 millimeters. Some of them are used in cosmetics or toothpaste but most result from floating waste that is constantly exposed to UV radiation and crumbles into smaller and smaller pieces into the ocean, where they are even more easily swallowed by all kinds of marine life. According to the UN, this has raised concerns among scientists, especially about health risks from the chemicals that are added to the plastic. BPA, for example, makes plastic bottles transparent but there's also evidence that it interferes with our hormonal system. DEHP makes the plastic more flexible but may cause cancer. It would be pretty bad if microplastics are toxic because they travel up the food chain. Zooplankton eats microplastic, small fish eat zooplankton, and so do oysters, crabs, and predatory fish. And they all land on our plates.

Microplastics have been found in honey, sea salt, beer, tap water, and in the household dust around us. 8 out of 10 babies and nearly all adults have measurable amounts of phthalates, a common plastic additive, in their bodies. And 93% of people have BPA in their urine. There is little science about this so far, and right now it's inconclusive. We need a lot more research before panic is justified, but it is safe to say that a lot of stuff happened that we didn’t plan for and we have lost control over plastic, to a certain extent, which is kind of scary.