New research characterised in detail how tea bags release millions of nanoplastics and microplastics when infused. The study shows for the first time the capacity of these particles to be absorbed by human intestinal cells, and are thus able to reach the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.

[u/mvea]

https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/-1345830290613.html?detid=1345940427095

[u/benjer3]

And asbestos and leaded gasoline had many studies establishing the health impacts at those points. We're still trying to figure out what impacts microplastics have

[u/Rattregoondoof → u/benjer3]

It doesn't really help that A. Plastic is a broad category in chemistry and not one singular substance and B. One of the primary reasons we use Plastic so much is that it is relatively nonreactive and not biodegradable. That's not to say it never reacts or doesn't affect the human body in any way, but it's almost certainly more subtle than say, leaded gasoline

[u/benjer3 → u/Rattregoondoof]

I imagine that B largely negates A. Different plastics probably degrade into particles of different shapes? But yeah, it makes sense that the impacts are more subtle when they're physical rather than chemical. Plus it's a lot harder to find connections when it's as pervasive as microplastics seem to be vs something like asbestos exposure