Wow, this Canadian newspaper piece lays out some evidence on micro- and nano-plastics:

• linked to declining sperm counts, altered puberty timing, infertility and developmental abnormalities in the reproductive organs
• exposure during the perinatal and early-life periods to disrupt neurodevelopmental health
• Neurodevelopmental outcomes, including attention deficits, lower IQ and behavioural changes
• MNPs do not distribute evenly. Evidence indicates they accumulate in the hippocampus, amygdala, cerebral cortex and substantia nigra. These structures are essential for cognition, emotional regulation and motor control. Their damage accounts for cognitive and behavioural impairments documented in numerous experimental studies.
• can accelerate the onset and progression of conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s [mouse study]
• Through progressive damage to brain regions involved in learning, memory, emotional regulation, anxiety and motor control, MNPs erode the neural substrates underlying behaviour and psychological health. Although they may not directly produce clinical “personality changes,” current evidence indicates that MNPs induce a spectrum of neurobiological and functional impairments that are likely to manifest as marked shifts in cognition, mood and behaviour.

they conclude:

Today, less than 10 per cent of plastic is recycled. [6]. There is much work to be done. Each one of us should avoid anything plastic. Governments at all levels need to impel plastics manufacturers to disclose their chemical composition, and redesign them so that they do not release microplastics or known chemicals of concern. Microplastic pollution is the result of human actions and decisions. We created the problem and now we must create the solution.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-microplastics-pollution-health-problems-environment/ https://archive.ph/cjig9

#microplastics #nanoplastics #MNPs #GlobeAndMail #health #news

However they also say:

R. A. Carlos recently reported on an alarming five-fold increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the island of Guam from 2016 to 2022. He reviewed 95 studies and concluded that the increased trend paralleled the widespread exposure of young children to microplastics.

and the citation given is to the abstract of a conference presentation which ACTUALLY says the author reviewed 95 studies for "neurotoxic effects of microplastics on other species, including fish, mice, mollusks, nematodes, crustaceans and chicken" not to find fricken autistic crustaceans but to find neurotoxicity.

But autism definitely isn't neurotoxicity in general, and probably isn't in any specific way.

So what we're left with is an observation of 5x ASD and plastics exposure on Guam. Is it not likely that whatever societal changes increased plastic use to skyrocket 5x also caused other seismic shifts in behaviour and exposure and - dare I guess - autism testing?

#autism #microplastics #nanoplastics #badJournalism #badScience #health #news #GlobeAndMail

Wow, this Canadian newspaper piece lays out some evidence on micro- and nano-plastics:

• linked to declining sperm counts, altered puberty timing, infertility and developmental abnormalities in the reproductive organs
• exposure during the perinatal and early-life periods to disrupt neurodevelopmental health
• Neurodevelopmental outcomes, including attention deficits, lower IQ and behavioural changes
• MNPs do not distribute evenly. Evidence indicates they accumulate in the hippocampus, amygdala, cerebral cortex and substantia nigra. These structures are essential for cognition, emotional regulation and motor control. Their damage accounts for cognitive and behavioural impairments documented in numerous experimental studies.
• can accelerate the onset and progression of conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s [mouse study]
• Through progressive damage to brain regions involved in learning, memory, emotional regulation, anxiety and motor control, MNPs erode the neural substrates underlying behaviour and psychological health. Although they may not directly produce clinical “personality changes,” current evidence indicates that MNPs induce a spectrum of neurobiological and functional impairments that are likely to manifest as marked shifts in cognition, mood and behaviour.

they conclude:

Today, less than 10 per cent of plastic is recycled. [6]. There is much work to be done. Each one of us should avoid anything plastic. Governments at all levels need to impel plastics manufacturers to disclose their chemical composition, and redesign them so that they do not release microplastics or known chemicals of concern. Microplastic pollution is the result of human actions and decisions. We created the problem and now we must create the solution.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-microplastics-pollution-health-problems-environment/ https://archive.ph/cjig9

#microplastics #nanoplastics #MNPs #GlobeAndMail #health #news