https://medium.com/p/2587fc2d6932 In a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy, a surprising discovery was made: microplastics were found within arterial plaques. These tiny plastic particles, measuring less than 5 millimeters in length, were present in approximately 60% of the plaques removed from patients with atherosclerosis

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[–] ashinadash@hexbear.net 61 points 5 months ago (2 children)

FIVE FUCKING MILLIMETERS???? That is not small hero-pain

[–] Rx_Hawk@hexbear.net 41 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Not great

[–] ashinadash@hexbear.net 25 points 5 months ago

this-is-fine

[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml 29 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's just the definition of any micro plastic, less than 5mm, doesn't mean they found any that large here (unless I missed them being more specific in the article somewhere?)

[–] ashinadash@hexbear.net 24 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It seems weird to specify half a dang centimeter, I assumed "microplastics" would be invisible to the naked eye, right?

[–] SkingradGuard@hexbear.net 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

A micron is 1/1000th of a mm, so while sort of visible, they can aggregate and form bigger particles. Usually they define a microplastic particle as being from 1–1000 μm (0.001 mm to 1 mm) some argue it should be 1-5000 μm, but to me anything beyond 1 mm isn't microplastic, just plain old plastic chunks.

[–] ashinadash@hexbear.net 3 points 5 months ago

That sounds a lot more normal, much more like what I'd expect.

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 53 points 5 months ago

Microplastics in my brain

They're driving me insane

[–] operacion_ogro@hexbear.net 53 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Thanks this post reminded me to eat my weekly credit card

[–] smb@lemmy.ml 8 points 5 months ago

never eat credit cards with no debt on it, always wait for a sufficient amount to disappeat 😁

[–] Magician@hexbear.net 52 points 5 months ago

Plastics manufacturers knew about plastic not being recyclable. They knew about micro plastics. They put the blame on us anyway.

[–] betelgeuse@hexbear.net 51 points 5 months ago

Coat my arteries with teflon so the plaque doesn't stick

[–] LaGG_3@hexbear.net 44 points 5 months ago

microplastics-cool very cool and good

spoiler

[–] Red_Sunshine_Over_Florida@hexbear.net 41 points 5 months ago

A horror that was literally man-made.

[–] FnordPrefect@hexbear.net 35 points 5 months ago (1 children)

On the downside: Everything about this

On the upside: the final generations of humans will all be preserved like the Bodies museum exhibit for the next species to take a crack at this whole intelligent life thing

[–] stigsbandit34z@hexbear.net 6 points 5 months ago

vonnegut

[–] freagle@lemmygrad.ml 30 points 5 months ago

Holy fuck that's bad

[–] MaxOS@hexbear.net 28 points 5 months ago

agony-limitless

[–] hexthismess@hexbear.net 26 points 5 months ago

Yim yum, plastic. yummy

[–] Coca_Cola_but_Commie@hexbear.net 25 points 5 months ago

Crimes of the Future is a motion picture directed by David Cronenberg set in a future world where humans have developed rapid evolution, an ability used by underground artists to grow and remove new organs in masochistic psychosexual surgical art performances. They are manipulated by a cult searching for a new development in human evolution: humans who can digest plastic.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I can't read the article and I have a dumb question: can donated blood or plasma, or even organs, contain microplastics?

[–] emptiestplace@lemmy.ml 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I don't have a study for you, but the logical conclusion is yes.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

...

Quick search says we use pvc plastics for most blood bags...gonna go sit and silently rock myself in a corner while I process this newfound potential horror.

[–] emptiestplace@lemmy.ml 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If possible I'd recommend skipping ahead to acceptance, it's a bit less angsty over here.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 3 points 5 months ago

Alas, my neurodivergent brain doesn't process things normally. Glad my hyperbole got a quick label though.

[–] chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 20 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Simple, nature is giving mankind back all the plastic we throw in the environment

[–] Magician@hexbear.net 12 points 5 months ago

The solution to the plastic problem was inside of us all along.

[–] SuperZutsuki@hexbear.net 10 points 5 months ago

Bioaccumulation hours, who up?

[–] FlakesBongler@hexbear.net 19 points 5 months ago

Time to convert myself into some sort of microplastic golem

[–] kristina@hexbear.net 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

so can i go grab some leeches and un-barbieify myself

[–] FlakesBongler@hexbear.net 17 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Sure, if you want to create some sort of unholy barbie leech

[–] Magician@hexbear.net 6 points 5 months ago

:sicko-leech:

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 2 points 5 months ago

Unholdable, ungrabbable. The most slippery bastard of all

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 11 points 5 months ago

University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli

anti-italian-action

[–] pumpchilienthusiast@hexbear.net 8 points 5 months ago

doomer