They cause pollution by entering natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, and industrial processes. And we make more microplastics by dumping huge amounts of plastic waste into the ocean every year, much of it ending up as microplastic.
A recent study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, found that infants have an average of 10 times the concentration of a type of microplastic in their poop than adults.
The research focused on two types of common microplastics—polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC)— and measured feces from six infants and 10 adults. They also looked at three samples of newborns' first waste, which is known as meconium. All were from New York state, and they were all found to have at least one kind of microplastic.
PC levels, the researchers found, were similar between the infant and adult groups. PET concentrations, however, revealed a stark difference, with those in infants' feces found to have levels more than 10 times higher on average. It could be a result of products they commonly use like teethers and bottles.
No comments:
Post a Comment