• Ephera
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    4 hours ago

    Damn, how have I not heard of this before? I always thought it got dumped into landfills and eventually degraded to tiny particles. If it’s released so directly, it feels a lot more viable to reduce exposure by avoiding plastics…

    • NarrativeBear@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      52 minutes ago

      That’s the thing, when people hear the term micro they still (for some reason) assume its something they can see with their naked eyes. Kind of like those plastic pellets put into handsoaps a while back that are now band.

      In reality microplastics are everywhere there is plastic, and they are released all the time at a microscopic level. Meaning you actually need a microscope to see them. Its like a fine dust.

      Now think of all the plastic items you use and come in contact with.

      Toothbrushes for example, each time you brush your teeth the brisels break down at a microscopic level and are released. The plastic utensils you use either in the kitchen on your pans, or the single use ones for food, they all slowly release plastics. That plastic cutting board, or boiling water in a plastic kettle, yup they all also release plastic.

      Pretty much everything breaks down at a microscopic level, that is how knives become dull, or how items show wear and tear over time.