Plastic Is A Huge Problem

Cow Farts are the Problem, Silly

https://www.popsci.com/environment/microplastics-water-filter-pollution/

Out of all the plastic that has even been produced globally, less than 10 percent has been recycled. One of the biggest environmental dilemmas with this is that plastic does not decompose, it only breaks down into smaller pieces that can contaminate soil and water. Small plastic particles between one micrometer and five millimeters in length are called microplastics; those smaller than one micrometer are called nanoplastics.

So far, microplastics have been found in water sources like lake water, groundwater, and tap water, and they likely contain the even tinier nanoplastics too. In fact, studies have identified nanoplastics in tap water in China, lake water in Switzerland, and even ice samples in the Northern and Southern polar regions. However, the full extent of tiny plastic contamination of drinking water sources has yet to be known because it is challenging to detect them, which can make it more difficult to address the problem.

Microplastics were recently found in human blood and living lung tissues for the first time, but their effects on human health are not yet fully understood. Ingested microplastic particles may cause an imbalance in the human gut microbiome, which can play a role in the development of gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. However, a direct link has yet to be established.

Regardless of any risk considerations, releasing enormous amounts of non-biodegradable, synthetic material into the environment—which results in micro- and nano-plastic particles—is not wise, says Ralf Kägi, head of the Particle Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology.

“Nano-plastic particles may have unwanted effects on ecosystems and human health,” he adds. “The smaller the particles, the higher the likelihood that they can be taken up by any organism and distributed, for example, in the gastrointestinal tract.”

The number of nanoplastics in water sources is expected to increase in the future as plastics continue to degrade, therefore drinking water treatment processes must be equipped to remove them.

Some studies show that drinking water treatment plants can filter nanoplastics well enough. According to a study published in Science of The Total Environment, a conventional drinking water treatment plant that uses sand and granular activated carbon (GAC) filters—the kind of filter that many water pitcher filters use—can remove nanoplastics by about 88.1 percent. The removal efficiency can increase to 99.4 percent if a coagulation process is also used.

Meanwhile, a different study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials found that a treatment process called slow sand filtration is just as effective at retaining nanoplastic particles from water sources, if not more. In this method, water is treated using a thick, biologically active layer called schmutzdecke that lies on top of quartz sand. The untreated water passes through the biological layer first, and then the layers of sand below it.

The effects of ingesting plastics isn't fully understood, but we know it isn't good, right? Can we at least agree on that, Mr Science?

We certainly can agree that ingesting plastics has an effect on the endocrine system.

We also know that there are an immense of amount of emasculated men in the world, that apparently just popped up out of nowhere. Like, where did all of these emasculated men come from? Are they just a product of social engineering? Or is it something in the drinking water?

It's ironic that the big issue for environmentalists (aka utopianists) is "global warming/climate change" - something that is arbitrary. Global warming is a cause that motivates the white saviorists. It gives them the chance to save the world. But plastic is a far bigger problem, and one that requires a lot of work and doesn't have a lot of virtue signalling potential, so you rarely see the Greta's of the world address it.

If you ever want to know the difference between a real environmentalist and a fake one you'll know by which one you hear about. The real ones that are cleaning up plastic in the ocean, or trying to regulate the plastic industry you never hear about. The fake ones are corporate shills that everyone has heard of. The ones that tell you to eat bugs and drink your poop if you want to be a good person.