MICROPLASTICS

Why in News:

A team of scientists in China recently found microplastics in the human heart for the first time.

Important Points:

• Microplastics are tiny bits of various types of plastic found in the environment.
• Notably, microplastics can be lesser than 5 millimeters wide and can enter the human body through the mouth, nose and other cavities in the body.
• They are a result of the fragmentation and degradation of larger plastic items, as well as the direct release of tiny plastic particles, often intentionally added to consumer products like cosmetics and cleaning agents.
• The name is used to differentiate them from “macroplastics” such as bottles and bags made of plastic.
• There is no universal agreement on the size that fits this bill — the S. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the European Chemical Agency define microplastic as less than 5mm in length.
• Microplastics have been claimed to be indirectly responsible for diseases like obesity, diabetes and chronic liver disease as they cause changes in the gastrointestinal tract.

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