MICROPLASTICS REVEALED IN THE PLACENTAS OF UNBORN BABIES


Microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which researchers feel is “a matter of great concern”. The particles were found in the placentas from four healthy women, who had normal pregnancies and births. Microplastics were detected on both the foetal and maternal sides of the placenta and in the membrane within which the foetus develops.

The health impact of microplastics in the body is not yet known. But scientists say, they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset the foetus’ developing immune system. The particles are likely to have been consumed or breathed in by the mothers.

  1. The microplastics were mostly of 10 microns in size, meaning they are small enough to be carried in the bloodstream. The particles may have entered the babies’ bodies, but the researchers were unable to assess this.
  2. Microplastics pollution has reached every part of the planet— from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People are already known to consume the tiny particles via food and water, and breathe them in.

Did You Know

In October, scientists revealed that babies, who are fed milk in plastic bottles, are swallowing millions of particles a day.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Educate Girls To Fight Climate Change: Malala

Image
  Keeping girls in school and taking young climate leaders seriously are keys to tackling climate change, Nobel Peace Prize winner  Malala  Yousafzai said on Friday. Speaking to a virtual panel,  Malala , 23, said educating girls and young women, particularly in developing countries, would give them a chance to pursue green jobs and be part of solving the climate crisis in their communities. "Girls' education, gender equality and climate change are not separate issues. Girl's education and gender equality can be used as solutions against climate change,"  Malala  told an online event by British think-tank Chatham House. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some 130 million girls worldwide were already out of school, according to the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO, which said more than 11 million may not return to classes after the pandemic. "When we educate girls ... they can become farmers, conservationists, solar technicians, they can fill other green job...
Read more

Post 7% Cut In Emissions,Experts Warn Of Rebound

Image
  Coronavirus restrictions led to a record 7% fall in global carbon emissions last year, but the drop will be short-lived unless efforts to phase out fossil fuel are intensified, a study by scientists in the journal Nature Climate Change said. The study by scientists from institutions in Australia, Britain, France, Norway and the United States, confirmed preliminary estimates from May last year that global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels fell by 7%, or 2.6 billion tonnes, to 34 billion tonnes. On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency said global CO2 emissions dropped by 5.8% in 2020. The study in Nature Climate Change analysed daily CO2 emissions across 71 countries and six economic sectors, using data from daily electricity use and mobility tracking services. To keep the global temperature rise to 1.5-2 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, emissions must decrease by 1-2 billion tonnes a year, the United Nations says. "When fossil fuel infrastructure is put in...
Read more

Now, a low-cost portable machine to grab plastic bags

A team of students has developed an innovative portable and lowcost machine, which efficiently collects discarded plastic bags. The machine, created by six final year engineering students from the Sona College of Technology in Salem, Tamil Nadu, is currently undergoing rigorous trials on the streets, within the municipal limits of the steel and textiles town. "The plastic waste collecting device is mounted on a sturdy frame with an infra-red sensor attached to a mobile vacuum chamber. It is capable of sensing plastic on the roads and attract it," project leader TV Kishore Kumar said.The idea and the execution. The Idea and execution Kumar, along with classmates N Javeeth Khan, R Akash, S Lokeshwar, R Dinesh Babu and R Ilavarasan, were inspired to create this device, after a call by the PM to make India plastic-free. The team integrated a shredder as an add-on accessory, which shreds the collected plastic bags. This shredded material was then mixed to concrete as a replacement...
Read more