Microplastics—A Lurking Danger No One is Talking About

Episode Summary:

Microplastics and their implications in human health is the topic Dr. Dan addresses this week. 

Topics discussed are as follows:

1. What are microplastics? 
2. Scientific literature on microplastics and human health
3. Foods that may be high in microplastics
4. Future outlook and summary 

Episode References:

• See here for a review on microplastics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30116998
• Preliminary research on microplastics: https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/fileadmin/site/presse/news_2018/UEG_Week_2018_-_Philipp_Schwabl_Microplastics_Web.pdf
• Microplastics can contain large amounts of pathogens: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es503610r
• Synthetics contaminants can absorb onto microplastics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29653356
• Microplastics can leach out bisphenol A (BPA): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27093569
• Microplastics could be causing inflammation in human tissues: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.6b02569?rand=i0ghes9k
• See here for SAPEA report on microplastics: https://www.sapea.info/topics/microplastics/
• Microplastics and the microbiome: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30826685
• Microplastics are also in the air: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29172041
• Scallops can accumulate large amounts of microplastics: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.8b05266#
• See here for a review on microplastics in cosmetics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27836135