Two siblings mauled by stray dogs in Delhi; An urban jungle-where animals hunt humans

In an horrifying and frightening incident, mauled and hunted two siblings, aged 7 & 5, killed in stray dog attack in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj

NEW DELHI: Two siblings, aged seven and five, were killed allegedly in stray dog attack in two separate incidents in the Vasant Kunj area of Delhi. The police said that the 7-year-old boy went missing on March 10 and his body was recovered later with animal bite like injuries.

They needed some shield to protect himself which society, government, courts and so called “dog-lovers” failed to provide.

4-year-old mauled to death by stray dogs in Amberpet

An urban jungle-where animals hunt humans

Dog Lover but not for human child

Courts have also upheld animal rights but failed to formulate and implement policies to ensure safety of humans from these violent strays. Government has not made out any policy to safeguard public from such attacks nor have courts come up with any solid guidelines, which can save public, children, women and older people from such bites.

Danger of stray dogs is increasing every day around us. As the strays population in increasing, now they are grouped and see vulnerable humans as easy prey. Packs of dogs have become dangerous and difficult to control. Protected by Dog lovers and animal right laws, the danger to normal people of being hunted even around their homes is real. Human right of being in a safe environment is being ignored. Is it not hypocritical that you care for a violent stray that is a threat to the society? Problem is not about loving and feeding dogs, but simultaneous apathy towards safety of humans. Such dog lovers most of the time, totally ignore the fact that these dogs are a threat to children and older people. An immediate sense of hatred towards such dog lovers is a consequence and a natural thought.

Animal lovers while pretending of “dog love” have formed NGOs and have donations and accumulate money. But have failed to create shelters for stray dogs. Neither have any steps been taken to save people from dog bites. So consequently, people especially vulnerable are children and older people who are mauled and eaten alive by stray dogs. What responsibility and accountability these animal lovers and NGO bear towards such incidents? Why people who collect money in name of animals do not take care and form shelters for these strays? every single death from such preventable cause raise a question on this issue.

Apathy of these so called dog lovers towards humans is appalling.

SUGGESTION: the Government, NGOs and people who claim to be “animal lovers” should create shelters to save strays “as well as people”. It should be mandatory that all the dog and animal (stray or pet) droppings are properly collected and disposed off. This single step can do wonders as it will reduce infections, people’s suffering, save lives and eventually reduce use of antibiotics. A rationale mind will definitely appreciate the danger due to strays, and can initiate proper steps rather criticizing above said facts in the name of animal rights. An animal has no sense of responsibility, so rights should be limited accordingly.

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March 12, 2023 0

Obesity-a growing epidemic & relation to climate

Twelve years from now, 4 billion people, or more than half the world’s population, will be overweight or obese, according to a recent report. While obesity is an issue more commonly associated with high-income countries, the World Obesity Federation (WOF) points out that lower income countries are facing rapid increases in its prevalence. The economic and environmental costs of obesity aside, there is also the impact on the climate to contend with in the battle of the bulge. A $4tn crisis

The World Obesity Atlas 2023 says the cost of obesity-related issues would be more than $4 trillion globally by 2035. Apart from health, high BMI – obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or more than 30 – also impacts economic productivity, including through premature retirement or death. The biggest presence of obese people will continue to be in high-income countries, the report says, but it is the low and lower middle income countries that are likely to experience major increases in the prevalence of obesity by 2035. The total economic costs linked to a rise in obesity in these countries would be more than $350 billion but the burden for upper middle and high income countries would be close to $4 trillion. The share of obese people in middle-income countries could jump to 66% among men and 70% for women even as the rate of increase in obesity prevalence appears to be slowing down in some rich countries. The chief reasons for rising obesity in poorer countries include a shift towards more highly processed foods and greater levels of sedentary behaviour.

What climate change has to do with it.

Rising temperature and rainfall due to climate change could lead to higher obesity rates by hampering physical activity, studies say. The impact of extreme weather on fruit and vegetable production could also make it harder to maintain a healthy diet owing to rising prices. Higher prices could prompt a shift towards processed foods, which are linked to obesity. A 2019 Lancet report says severe food insecurity and hunger are associated with lower obesity prevalence, but mild to moderate food insecurity is “associated with higher obesity prevalence”. Another 2019 study says obesity is linked to about “20% greater GHG emissions compared with the normal weight state”. The total impact of obesity “may be extra emissions of (about) 700 megatons per year of CO2 equivalent. about 1. 6% of worldwide GHG emissions”.

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March 9, 2023 0

All about Holi colours, Harms, Removal and Prevention

We all love playing with Holi colours, but do they leave any harmful side-effects?

With the festival of colours just around the corner, we are all bound to be excited about having fun with family and friends.

However, as Holi is played with lots of colours, it’s important to keep safety in mind and take proper care to control the damaging effects of colours.

HOLI COLOURS

The market is flooded with a variety of colours – paste, dry and watercolours. Rather, industrial dyes being cheap and bright are widely used to make them. However, these can have detrimental effects on humans as they were never meant for playing Holi.

Metallic pastes: These pastes are used for a silver, golden and/or black effect. While it’s a very popular practice in youngsters, the use of metallic pastes during Holi is highly discouraged in view of the harmful effects.

Dry colours: Commonly called as gulaal, dry colours are a mix of toxic heavy metals like lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, mercury, nickel, and asbestos.

Water Colours: These colours commonly use gentian violet dye as colourant. Gentian violet is a hazardous chemical that can cause many serious health problems. The water colours used in Holi fare no better.

Harmful effects of colours

All these are known to cause skin allergies, dermatitis and a host of other issues including problems with the scalp.

Metallic pastes- These colours can cause eye allergies, blindness, skin irritation, skin cancers, and even kidney failure.

The colored powders used during Holi can cause various respiratory problems when inhaled. This can lead to conditions such as bronchitis, asthma, and allergies.

Being exposed to these colors can cause irritation and inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and can also trigger asthma attacks in people with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

Long-term exposure to these chemicals can lead to chronic respiratory problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.

Other problems include conjunctivitis and hair loss.

Additionally, the colours, if inhaled can irritate the delicate tissues in the nose and throat, causing inflammation and discomfort.

If Holi is played out in the sun, it can further damage the skin, causing depletion of moisture and sun tan, leaving your skin dry and dull.

HOW TO PREVENT THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF HOLI COLORS?

To apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out in the sun. Make sure to use sunscreen for SPF 30 and above. Most sunscreens have built-in moisturizers. For the hair, apply a hair serum or leave-in conditioner. Alternatively, you can use pure coconut oil and massage it lightly into the hair.

REMOVAL OF COLOURS

Appropriate removal of colours is equally important to get rid of the damaging effects of playing Holi. To begin with, rinse your face with plenty of water, followed by a cleansing cream or lotion, and lastly, wipe off with moist cotton wool. In case you experience itching, add two tablespoons of vinegar to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse.

Cleanse the area around the eyes. While bathing, gently scrub the body and apply a moisturiser on the face and body immediately after while the skin is still damp.

He said that if itching continues or you see a rash and redness, make sure to consult a doctor as there may be an allergic reaction to the colour. For the hair, use plenty of water to wash away the dry colours and tiny mica particles. Then use a mild shampoo and massage the scalp gently and rinse thoroughly with water again. Lastly, condition your hair with a mild conditioner.

Prevention

Instead, opt to use eco-friendly colours made of flower petals, herbs, vegetable extract, and turmeric.

Keep an eye out for any of these symptoms post your Holi party.

If you experience fever, nausea, vomiting, red eyes, difficulty seeing, skin eruptions, burning skin, dizziness, confusion, inability to concentrate, headaches, and/or blurred vision consult a doctor immediately.

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March 8, 2023 0

Protection to Dogs but not to Human Child- Shameful Scenario

A horrifying and frightening video was recorded in Hyderabad, where a four year child was seen running and screaming for his life. 4-5 stray dogs were near him, mauled and hunted him as a prey. He needed some shield to protect himself which society, government, courts and so called “dog-lovers” failed to provide.

4-year-old mauled to death by stray dogs in Amberpet

HYDERABAD: In yet another gruesome incident of its kind in Hyderabad, a four-year-old boy was mauled and killed by stray dogs in Amberpet area. Although the attack happened on Sunday, it came to light on Tuesday after CCTV footage of the dogs surrounding the boy and not letting him escape went viral. In the past year alone, the government-run fever hospital in the city has seen at least four cases of people dying after contracting rabies from dog bites. Toddlers have been killed by strays in various parts of the state. According to data submitted in Parliament, Telangana reported about 80,000 cases of dog bite last year. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials said the victim, Pradeep, accompanied his father K Gangadhar, a security guard at a car service centre, to his workplace on Sunday. The dogs attacked the boy while he was playing by himself. The 1:07-minute CCTV footage shows the child walking alone in the parking area of the service centre and three dogs rushing towards him. The boy, surrounded by the aggressive canines, looked scared and tried to run away. Soon, a dog pounced on him from the rear, resulting in him falling to the ground. The child gathered himself, got up on his feet and tried to escape, but the dogs attacked him again. Within seconds, all three canines began mauling him. The dogs tried to pull him away in different directions even as three other sub-adult dogs tried to join them. CCTV footage shows that the boy tried to fend off the attack, but gave up after being surrounded by the strays. A few seconds later, as the boy lay limp, the dogs tried dragging him away. Gangadhar, along with other staff members, rushed in and chased away the dogs. They rushed the boy to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries on the way and doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Officials said the boy was carrying food in one hand, which might have attracted the dogs.

An urban jungle-where animals hunt humans

Dog Lover but not for human child

Apathy of these so called dog lovers towards humans is appalling.

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February 23, 2023 0

Disposal of the Dead after Death-Environment Impact & Carbon Cost

Burning the bodies of the dead was an ancient rite and practice in India. It was observed among Buddhists, Hindus and Jains from well before the start of the Common Era, and was later adopted by Sikhs. Burning the dead historically helped demarcate these religious communities from Muslims and Christians, for whom burial was the norm, and from India’s Parsi community who exposed their dead on Towers of Silence. Burning bodies after death, originating at a time when India was still heavily forested, cremation may also have been environmentally more appropriate and sustainable than, for instance, the mummification practised in the dry desert air of ancient Egypt.

Burning Issues: Cremation and Incineration

In India, one estimate reveals that funeral pyres consume 6 crore trees annually and play a huge role in deforesting the country. Air pollution and deforestation are not the only environmental threats of cremation. They also generate large quantities of ash – around 50 lakh tonnes each year – which is later thrown into rivers, adding to their waters’ toxicity. The prolonged burning of fossil fuels for cremation results in around 80 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions per year, according to one estimate. It creates different hazardous gases, including dental mercury, which is vaporised and released into the environment leading to health hazards in the surrounding area. Many of these toxins can bio-accumulate in humans, including mercury – often from dental amalgams, but also from general bioaccumulation in the body. Cremation results in various other toxic emissions including persistent pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and heavy metals. An IIT Kanpur study in 2016 found that open-air cremations contribute 4% of Delhi’s carbon monoxide emissions. There are concerns for crematorium workers as well, who may be exposed to nuclear medicine treatments (chemotherapeutics/radiation), orthopaedic (implants) and pacemaker explosions, and nanoparticles.

. In order to tackle the environmental problems stemming from these sites, the Indian government and environmental groups have over the years tried to promote the use of electric crematoriums as an alternative way of cremation. Electric crematoriums largely unsuccessful, are expensive to run, and crucially, traditional rituals are made impossible.

Carbon Cost estimation -When people are cremated after death, the burning releases carbon into the air. Alkaline hydrolysis, in which the body is dissolved, has about a seventh of the carbon footprint of cremation, and the resulting fluid can be used as fertiliser. A Dutch study of the disposal of bodies found that the lowest amount of money that it would theoretically cost to compensate in terms of the carbon footprint per body was €63·66 for traditional burial, €48·47 for cremation, and €2·59 for alkaline hydrolysis. Composting or natural burial are alternatives.

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has questioned the centuries-old tradition practised by Hindus to cremate dead bodies at the river banks, saying the method of burning wood leads to air pollution and also effects natural water resources.

Keeping in mind the growing level of pollution, the NGT said that there was a need to adopt environment-friendly methods like electric crematoriums and use of CNG and change the ‘mindset of the people’.

The NGT bench headed by Justice UD Salvi also directed the Union Environment Ministry and the Delhi government to initiate programmes to provide alternative modes of cremation of human remains, saying the traditional emitted hazardous pollutants in the environment.

“It is also the responsibility of the government to facilitate the making of the mindset of the citizens as well as to provide environment-friendly alternatives for cremation to its citizenry,” the bench further said.

The green panel said the traditional means of cremation caused adverse impact on environment and dispersal of ashes in the river led to water pollution.

If we are to survive the climate crisis then almost everything will have to change, including health care, end-of-life care, and how we dispose of the dead.

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November 15, 2022 0

Blowin’ In The Wind-Delhi Air Pollution: Colossal Administrative failure

An eight year old child –scared, sitting terrified in mother’s lap, feeling breathless and feeling a bit dizzy. News about rising levels of smog and pollution send shivers down her spine every year. Her mother closing all the doors of house and trying to avoid the fumes entering the room like ghosts from every small crevices, peepholes and slits. The mother prays for the smooth sail through these days as she knows very well that the season has come when the environment will be full of pollutants. The child will writhe with suffocation due to air pollution in the same proportion. The reasons for dangerous levels of air pollution can be multiple like vehicles, crackers or farm waste burning, but accumulate near the some cities due to geographical distribution and environmental factors. Irony is that it is someone else’s problem like farm waste burning and ball of a time with polluting crackers adds to child's suffering. Here the sufferer is not the real cause pollution. Unlike if someone smokes or drinks alcohol, it is the doer who is sufferer. But here the root cause of her trouble emanates from poor governance and administrative failure to control the irresponsible behaviour of few. Every year, many factors collectively add to enormous pollution and air becomes thick with smog and suspended particulate matter at a predictable time. It is a cause of breathlessness in children and adults and vulnerable to asthmatic attacks.

Blowin’ In The Wind Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head

And pretend that he just doesn’t see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

Yes, and how many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

And how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

An eight year old child –scared, sitting terrified in mother’s lap, feeling breathless and feeling a bit dizzy. News about rising levels of smog and pollution send shivers down her spine every year. Her mother closing all the doors of house and trying to avoid the fumes entering the room like ghosts from every small crevices, peepholes and slits. The mother prays for the smooth sail through these days as she knows very well that the season has come when the environment will be full of pollutants. The child will writhe with suffocation due to air pollution in the same proportion. The reasons for dangerous levels of air pollution can be multiple like vehicles, crackers or farm waste burning, but accumulate near the some cities due to geographical distribution and environmental factors.

Irony is that it is someone else’s problem like farm waste burning and ball of a time with polluting crackers adds to child’s suffering. Here the sufferer is not the real cause pollution. Unlike if someone smokes or drinks alcohol, it is the doer who is sufferer. But here the root cause of her trouble emanates from poor governance and administrative failure to control the irresponsible behaviour of few.

Every year, many factors collectively add to enormous pollution and air becomes thick with smog and suspended particulate matter at a predictable time. It is a cause of breathlessness in children and adults and vulnerable to asthmatic attacks.

Like this one child, there are thousands of them and people from all ages suffer during this season because of mistakes and thrill of others. These sufferers, who are frustrated due to their plight, with no fault of theirs, have to undergo treatment and visit emergencies of the hospitals. This irresponsible behaviour of people puts burden on the medical services and the doctors, who are already overstretched due to workload. But it is only the doctors and nurses, who are visible round the clock, whereas people who have polluted the air and the administrators remain invisible. For many, it is very hard to understand the complexity of the situation. Patients many a times will rather tend to blame the doctors for their sufferings, poor treatment and difficulty in treatment, without realizing that constant pollution is the reason for poor response to treatment.

Why all of us cannot keep in mind the plight of such patients? Why the administrators wake up and come out of their slumber every year when AQI is more than 500 already?

There are no punishments for repeated administrative failures.

But inconsequential pleasure and poor governance should not be allowed to inflict health and life of others.

Delhi Air Pollution: AQI more than 500. Apart from climate change, air pollution is just another biggest environmental threat to human health at present. And with pollution levels worsening in the national capital and neighbouring regions, residents of Delhi have started complaining of several health problems like difficulty in breathing, tightness of chest, asthmatic symptoms, runny nose, sore throat, itchy and watery eyes. As the city has been waking up to a thick blanket of hazardous smog every morning since Diwali, Delhi hospitals are also witnessing a surge in the number of patients coming to OPDs with health issues. And it’s the elders and children, who have lower immunity levels, complained of breathing issues. The hazardous level of air pollution towards the end of October triggered a series of official measures such as shutting down construction work across Delhi and smoke-emitting factories.

It requires sincere administrative will and not merely tokenism to control such hazardous pollution.

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November 4, 2022 0

India’s Mounting Plastic Challenge

Taking forward the commitment to eliminate single-use plastics, the Environment Ministry has notified comprehensive guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the guidelines on extended producer responsibility coupled with the prohibition of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, with effect from July 1, 2022, are important steps for reducing pollution caused by littered plastic waste in the country.

Many have woken up to India’s plastic waste generation problem after worrying data was presented in Parliament. But alarm bells have been ringing for a long time. According to the Centre, plastic waste generation has more than doubled in the last five years, with an average annual increase of 21.8%. A 2018-2019 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report puts India’s annual plastic waste generation at 3.3 million metric tonnes. This, according to experts, is an underestimation. Seven states — Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu — contribute to 66% of the country’s total plastic generation. And, Goa and Delhi’s per capita plastic use is six times higher than the national average. A 2018 study by IIT Kharagpur found that 49% of waste in Delhi drains was plastic.

There is need for robust national plan, ensure transparency and to involve every stakeholder- from Government and industries to every last citizen.

Centre Notifies guidelines on plastic packages

New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): Taking forward the commitment to eliminate single-use plastics, the Environment Ministry has notified comprehensive guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the guidelines on extended producer responsibility coupled with the prohibition of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, with effect from July 1, 2022, are important steps for reducing pollution caused by littered plastic waste in the country.

The minister said that the guidelines provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote the development of new alternatives to plastics and provide further next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses. “Reuse of rigid plastic packaging material has been mandated in the guidelines to reduce the use of fresh plastic material for packaging,” Yadav said.

The Ministry said that the enforceable prescription of a minimum level of recycling of plastic packaging waste collected under EPR along with the use of recycled plastic content will further reduce plastic consumption and support the recycling of plastic packaging waste.

The EPR guidelines will give a boost for formalization and further development of the plastic waste management sector. As a significant first, the guidelines allow for the sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility certificates, thus setting up a market mechanism for plastic waste management.

“The implementation of EPR will be done through a customized online platform which will act as the digital backbone of the system. The online platform will allow tracking and monitoring of EPR obligations and reduce the compliance burden for companies through online registration and filing of annual returns. In order to ensure monitoring on fulfilment of EPR obligations, the guidelines have prescribed a system of verification and audit of enterprises,” it said.

The guidelines prescribe a framework for the levy of environmental compensation based upon the polluter pays principle, with respect to non-fulfilment of extended producer responsibility targets by producers, importers and brand owners, for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environment pollution, the Ministry added.

It further said that the funds collected shall be utilized for collection, recycling and end of life disposal of uncollected plastic waste in an environmentally sound manner.

Under these producers, importers and brand owners may operate schemes such as deposit-refund system or buy-back or any other model in order to prevent the mixing of plastic packaging waste with solid waste. (ANI)

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February 20, 2022 0

Covid pandemic to infected plastic pandemic

Now, while we are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, plastics use is increasing again. But, while the pandemic is just temporary, plastic pollution will be long lasting.

For our current battle to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we see a dramatically increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) which comprises various plastic and rubber items. Moreover, there are many other fresh, clean plastic items widely used in medical applications for creating a sterile environment, such as pill casings, disposal syringes, catheter, and blood bags. These items are also made of synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PP, which are not biodegradable. Therefore, it would be not surprising to see that the COVID-19 pandemic is generating tons of medical waste.

dumping Covid-19 infected waste in public places

The Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, define biomedical waste as“any waste that is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals or research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological or in health camps.” Therefore, broadly, any waste generated from treating patients comes under the ambit of biomedical waste.

As per available data, India produced approximately 600 tonnes of biomedical waste per day before the coronavirus first hit.

However, ever since Covid-19 showed up on our shores, the amount of biomedical waste produced in India has increased exponentially. This is mainly due to two factors:

Medical facilities themselves are producing far more biomedical waste as they battle the virus. As of August 30th, more than 4.14 crore tests to check for the virus had been conducted in India. Further, with over 36 lakh persons having tested positive for the virus, medical facilities have also been producing a lot more medical waste as they treat these patients. Therefore, all of the cotton swabs, samples, injections among other medical inputs necessary to test and treat these patients become highly contagious bio-medical waste that needs to be treated and disposed of with utmost caution.
Due to the infectious nature of the coronavirus itself and the strategy of home quarantining of asymptomatic COVID-19 Positive patients, adopted by the country, a major part of affected household waste has now become biomedical waste. The amount of waste that is hazardous is large due to the fact that India has some of the worst waste segregation numbers in the world. This forces infrastructure that is already burdened beyond capacity to handle mixed waste that it is not equipped to handle.

Treatment facilities and growth in biomedical waste

A factor that infinitely complicates India’s fight against Covid-19 is that as per available data, India, a country of more than 1.3 billion people, has only 198 Biomedical Waste Treatment Centres (BMWTCs) and 225 medical centres in the country with captive waste treatment facilities. Simple maths tells us that India’s infrastructure to process biomedical waste was already inadequate during pre-Covid times. However, post-Covid, India is truly staring at a disaster of alarming proportions if it does not rapidly increase its biomedical waste treatment capacity.

There have already been multiple instances of Covid-19 infected waste being dumped in public places including in Delhi and Vijayawada. In addition to this, due to the rapid and sustained increase in biomedical waste due to Covid-19, most BMWTCs are running out of capacity to handle the waste. For instance, the two BMWTCs in Delhi have a combined capacity of handling 74 tonnes of biomedical waste in a day.

However, a report submitted by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority to the Supreme Court of India showed that Delhi’s biomedical output had risen from 25 tonnes per day in May to 349 tonnes per day in July. Similarly, Covid-19 related waste in Mumbai rose from 12,200 kg per day in June to 24,889 kg per day in August, essentially doubling in three months. A similar situation has arisen in West Bengal as disposal facilities there too have reached maximum capacity.

Proper waste segregation and disposal is need of the hour. Disease burden may keep on rising, if proper steps are not followed.

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September 7, 2020 0

Microplastic have found way into the human gut

In the next 60 seconds, people around the world will purchase 1 million plastic bottles and 2 million plastic bags. By the end of the year, we will produce enough bubble wrap to encircle the equator 10 times. Though it will take over 1,000 years for most of these items to degrade, many will soon break apart into tiny shards known as microplastics, trillions of which have been showing up in the oceans, fish, tap water and even table salt.

Now, we can add one more microplastic to the list: the human gut.

In a pilot study with a small sample size, researchers looked for microplastics in stool samples of eight people from Finland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the UK and Austria. To their surprise, every single sample tested positive for the presence of a variety of microplastics.

“This is the first such study, so we did a pilot to see if there are any microplastics detectable at all,” said Philipp Schwabl, a gastroenterologist at the Medical University of Vienna and lead author of the study. “The results were astonishing.” There are no certain health implications for their findings, and they hope to complete a broader study with the methods they have developed.

Microplastics — defined as pieces less than .02 inches long, roughly the size of a grain of rice — have become a major concern for environ- mental researchers during the past decade. Several studies have found high levels of microplastics in marine life, and last year, they were detected in 83% of tap water samples around the world (the highest contamination rate was in US, where 94% of samples were contaminated).

Researchers have long suspected microplastics would eventually be found in human gut. One study estimated that people who regularly eat shellfish may be consuming 11,000 plastic pieces per year.

The new paper, which was presented at a conference in Vienna, could provide support for marine biologists who have long warned of the dangers posed by microplastics in our oceans. But the paper suggests that microplastics are entering our bodies through other means, as well.

To conduct the study, they selected volunteers from each country who kept food diaries for a week and provided stool samples.

Up to nine different kinds of plastics were detected, ranging in size from .002 to .02 inches. The most common plastics detected were polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate — both major components of plastic bottles and caps.

Still, Schwabl cautioned against jumping to conclusions. “It is highly likely food is being contaminated with plastics during various steps of processing or packaging.” Whether microplastics pose a health risk to humans is unknown, though they have been found to cause some damage in fish and other animals. Additionally, the ones detected in the study are too large to be a serious threat.

source

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