Does anything else really matter?

[paddy no 11]

52.3C in Delhi

Funk that

[Sandydragon]

52.3C in Delhi

Funk that

I’m assuming the humidity would be high as well.

[Donny osmond]

75% of Mexico is suffering drought; 50% is suffering severe drought.

Absolutely fwcked.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... s-glaciers

[Son of Mathonwy]

1/200th of our brain mass is actually micropastic waste. Quite scary:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ion-health

[morepork]

1/200th of our brain mass is actually micropastic waste. Quite scary:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ion-health

It’s not waste it’s carbon incorporated into membranes from waste. Study suggests the plastic waste source of this carbon can substitute for fatty acid metabolism to get across the blood brain barrier. What is needed now is a longitudinal assessment of the health risks of that alternative carbon source measured by epidemiology coupled to quantification of relative nanoplastic presence. Nothing gets passively into the brain so assessing the liver is important here. These findings should also be replicated in other phyla, fish and anything that has a functional blood brain barrier comparable to mammals, specifically primates. Diet is a vital variable here.

[Donny osmond]

Have heard of a few microplastic studies lately that have found microplastics in everything from testes to placentas. I would just take it as read that your body is full of microplastics.

[paddy no 11]

Have heard of a few microplastic studies lately that have found microplastics in everything from testes to placentas. I would just take it as read that your body is full of microplastics.

Seems the brain is much better than retaining them than other organs, up to 0.5% by weight

[Son of Mathonwy]

1/200th of our brain mass is actually micropastic waste. Quite scary:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ion-health

It’s not waste it’s carbon incorporated into membranes from waste. Study suggests the plastic waste source of this carbon can substitute for fatty acid metabolism to get across the blood brain barrier. What is needed now is a longitudinal assessment of the health risks of that alternative carbon source measured by epidemiology coupled to quantification of relative nanoplastic presence. Nothing gets passively into the brain so assessing the liver is important here. These findings should also be replicated in other phyla, fish and anything that has a functional blood brain barrier comparable to mammals, specifically primates. Diet is a vital variable here.

Can you explain this distinction a bit more? Of the plastic accumulating in the brain, the paper says 'the majority being nanometer-scale, shard-like particulates'.

One slightly hopeful note was that in zebrafish studies, the contamination plateaued at a certain level of exposure and then cleared after exposure ended. Whether that's applicable to our big mammal brains, who knows?

[paddy no 11]

1/200th of our brain mass is actually micropastic waste. Quite scary:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ion-health

It’s not waste it’s carbon incorporated into membranes from waste. Study suggests the plastic waste source of this carbon can substitute for fatty acid metabolism to get across the blood brain barrier. What is needed now is a longitudinal assessment of the health risks of that alternative carbon source measured by epidemiology coupled to quantification of relative nanoplastic presence. Nothing gets passively into the brain so assessing the liver is important here. These findings should also be replicated in other phyla, fish and anything that has a functional blood brain barrier comparable to mammals, specifically primates. Diet is a vital variable here.

Can you explain this distinction a bit more? Of the plastic accumulating in the brain, the paper says 'the majority being nanometer-scale, shard-like particulates'.

One slightly hopeful note was that in zebrafish studies, the contamination plateaued at a certain level of exposure and then cleared after exposure ended. Whether that's applicable to our big mammal brains, who knows?

This should be right up moreporks alley

[morepork]

I'm completely wrong about this. Plastic is metabolized and gets into the blood stream and into the brain via regulated conduits, but it seems raw plastic can also cross the blood brain barrier and fuck with cells there:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 3522007548

The blood brain barrier is the first line of defense against unregulated responses to foreign non-self antigens, and it appears plastic can breach that line and promote a redox environment that increases the risk of neurodegeneration. Welcome to the Anthropocene. Apologies for trying to get too cute with biological observation.

[Son of Mathonwy]

I'm completely wrong about this. Plastic is metabolized and gets into the blood stream and into the brain via regulated conduits, but it seems raw plastic can also cross the blood brain barrier and fuck with cells there:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 3522007548

The blood brain barrier is the first line of defense against unregulated responses to foreign non-self antigens, and it appears plastic can breach that line and promote a redox environment that increases the risk of neurodegeneration. Welcome to the Anthropocene. Apologies for trying to get too cute with biological observation.

Human stupidity causes environmental changes which increase human stupidity.

Positive feedback. Or death spiral.

I guess, now the problem is being recognised, we can begin to identify the materials, items and processes which are the biggest contributors to this and take action to phase them out/improve them. No doubt there will be anti-ULEZ type reactions as the corporates and the right fights for our right to poison ourselves (and every other life form on the planet).

[morepork]

I'm completely wrong about this. Plastic is metabolized and gets into the blood stream and into the brain via regulated conduits, but it seems raw plastic can also cross the blood brain barrier and fuck with cells there:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 3522007548

The blood brain barrier is the first line of defense against unregulated responses to foreign non-self antigens, and it appears plastic can breach that line and promote a redox environment that increases the risk of neurodegeneration. Welcome to the Anthropocene. Apologies for trying to get too cute with biological observation.

Human stupidity causes environmental changes which increase human stupidity.

Positive feedback. Or death spiral.

I guess, now the problem is being recognised, we can begin to identify the materials, items and processes which are the biggest contributors to this and take action to phase them out/improve them. No doubt there will be anti-ULEZ type reactions as the corporates and the right fights for our right to poison ourselves (and every other life form on the planet).

What is needed now is to apply the detection methods to post mortem brain bank samples and see if there is a correlation between plastic load and clinical phenotype. Especially in age-related conditions like dementias. I'm thinking there probably is.

[Son of Mathonwy]

I'm completely wrong about this. Plastic is metabolized and gets into the blood stream and into the brain via regulated conduits, but it seems raw plastic can also cross the blood brain barrier and fuck with cells there:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 3522007548

The blood brain barrier is the first line of defense against unregulated responses to foreign non-self antigens, and it appears plastic can breach that line and promote a redox environment that increases the risk of neurodegeneration. Welcome to the Anthropocene. Apologies for trying to get too cute with biological observation.

Human stupidity causes environmental changes which increase human stupidity.

Positive feedback. Or death spiral.

I guess, now the problem is being recognised, we can begin to identify the materials, items and processes which are the biggest contributors to this and take action to phase them out/improve them. No doubt there will be anti-ULEZ type reactions as the corporates and the right fights for our right to poison ourselves (and every other life form on the planet).

What is needed now is to apply the detection methods to post mortem brain bank samples and see if there is a correlation between plastic load and clinical phenotype. Especially in age-related conditions like dementias. I'm thinking there probably is.

Also we need to find the main routes microplastics are entering our bodies via. Food? Is it particularly bad in processed food? Plastic containers? Drink? Is it in our water? Drinking bottles? How much are we breathing in? Is it particularly bad in certain places or is lifestyle a bigger factor?

And can our bodies actually clear any of it out? Can our kidneys extract it from our blood etc?

[Son of Mathonwy]

The BBC are using their trustworthy reputation to create promotional material, greenwashing for fossil fuel and other polluting companies. All legal and above board I expect but it's working against Earth's future as a habitable planet. Disgraceful.

https://www.desmog.com/2024/08/22/bbc-s ... polluters/

https://www.bbc.com/storyworks
https://bbcnews.bbcstudios.com/advertis ... toryworks/

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