What if We Accidentally Eat Plastic? | How Microplastics Affect your Health? | Dr. Binocs Show

[Music] watch out little kitty make sure you don't accidentally swallow the plastic cap why let me explain by answering a risky question what if we accidentally eat plastic zoom in children who are naturally curious and like to put things in their mouth often end up AC ently eating plastic this can happen with small toys packaging materials or even bits of plastic found on playgrounds while tiny pieces of plastic usually pass through the body without much trouble larger pieces can cause serious complications the immediate concern with swallowing plastic items is the potential for joking which can lead to Serious breathing problems that can be fatal if not promptly addressed even if plastic passes through the digestive system harmlessly the dangers is necessarily over as the larger pieces of plastic can cause internal blockages leading to pain vomiting and possibly requiring surgery for removal but even if you consciously avoid the visible Threat by keeping yourself away from chewing on on plastic there's still a hidden danger as you might have swallowed some without even realizing it yes shockingly studies suggest that people may be ingesting amounts of plastic equivalent to the size of a credit card every week in the form of microplastics and what are they microplastics are tiny bits of plastic smaller than 5 mm that come from bigger plastic items breaking down however these tiny pieces don't decompose easily and stay in the environment for a long time this is where the problem begins because microplastics are everywhere now contaminating the air we breathe the water we drink and the food we eat when we continually consume items contaminated with microplastics the intestines can absorb these particles and transport them to other body parts via blood circulation as many of these Plastics are coated with harmful chemicals they can damage our liver kidneys and lungs which can again cause serious concerns moreover microplastics can disrupt our home hormones because these tiny particles can mimic hormones and interfere with the body's Natural Balance this disruption can cause issues with growth in children and reproduction in adults and may even increase the risk of serious diseases like cancer fortunately for us the amount of plastic entering our organs is very small however we cannot Overlook the potential long-term effects of continuous exposure therefore it's essential to take certain steps to ensure our safety what exactly are these steps firstly drinking water and eating food from plastic containers or wrappers are the primary sources of microplastics so it's wise to try to avoid them instead opt for fresh food s and use fun reusable containers made of glass stainless steel or copper to carry your snacks and drinks additionally making small changes like choosing products with less packaging with fusing single-use Plastics properly disposing of trash and participating in cleanup efforts can also help prevent plastic from entering nature but it's not just up to individuals governments and large organizations need to step up as well they should Implement stricter rules regarding the production and use of plastic promote Recycling and explore alternative materials that are less harmful to the planet so to wrap it up accidentally ingesting microplastics is a serious issue that can great L impact our health but by educating ourselves about the risk and collaborating to reduce plastic pollution a topic we've already discussed in our previous video we can maintain our health and Safeguard the environment for future Generations trivia time did you know that Americans consume between 39,000 to 52,000 unit of microplastics annually moreover individuals who use bottled water sources May consume an additional 90,000 microplastics every year sketching time today's sketch of the day goes to Amar P hope you learned something very important today until next time it's me Dr boox zooming out [Music] products of plastic never mind