How dangerous are microplastics? | DW Documentary
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- čas přidán 31. 10. 2022
- Microplastics have only recently become an issue outside the scientific world. A pioneering researcher in this field, Christian Laforsch is primarily interested in the long-term hazards they pose - something that could assume critical importance for us in the future.
Microplastics can be found everywhere: in snow up in the mountains, in our rivers - and in the air that we breathe. They comprise particles so minute that they can only be seen under a microscope. Professor Christian Laforsch and his team from the University of Bayreuth have devised their own customized instruments to track down microplastics in water, the air and farmland soil. They also want to find out how dangerous they are for humans and our environment.
Seema Agarwal is a chemist who knows the problem all too well from her native India. She's working on the development of organic-based plastics that are 100% biodegradable. At the same time, she's trying to reach out to the chemical industry - because in her eyes, the obvious and ultimate goal is to prevent microplastics being created in the first place.
#documentary #dwdocumentary #microplastics
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In 1972 we had a subject called PLASTICS. Yes, with a very enthusiastic teacher who told "The future is PLASTICS!" We all then got bad marls by saying "That it was NOT the future!" Many young Farmers As we grew up in a very Rural Devon. Said "That all the plastic and Rubber bits constantly gave problems on the Farm and then stayed around unmendable for years." Looking back who was right? The whole thing needs looking at.
I see that farmers observed the nuisance. However, did we really know in 1972 just how bad a problem was coming our way? I might have taken the same approach as your teacher. You knew??
Too late. Look at videos in the Philippines and India & other places. Even if we rid all plastic and remove it from our land it will not make 1 iota of change.
Even if the world stops making it tomorrow there is enough to turn to micro size all over the world. It is too late.
Like anything else! too much will create a problem, be moderate
@@barbaraseymour3437 yes we did know my grandparents were both against it, and in school we once got two terracotta pots (after having got a snack 1 apple n juice in a plastic cup), newspaper on floor, buried our apple core n cup....initially asking n asking. Finally we got to put news paper down, emptied the pots and saw what was biodegradable and not. My nan used to collect bags and crochet carpets or bags. She said it was too much of this stuff around n it was going to be bad...why couldn't people use baskets (wicker) etc. She said it ends up everywhere...so yes we have known for a long time. I've been against plastic over 40 years, not eating animals approx same, since the killed my best friend and I'd seen it...
@@EnyawYorlig we cannot give up
I remember a couple of things that impacted me to this problem with plastic; a trip deep into the Amazon and seeing plastic trash in the pristine jungle, days away from the so called civilized world, and a pit stop in the road between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, Mauritania; the bus stop fir the people to pray and I stood by the van looking into the infinite desert (Sahara) and all I could see was millions upon millions of discarded plastic water bottles and other trash…. We are trashing our planet beyond repair, and our descendants will pay for it.
YOU ARE TOTALLY CORRECT,..Thank You for stating your actual Experience,,Important to know ..We have many Hardships ahead of us...Germany is forward thinking and may suffer less...For me,,this is another example of DIVERGENCE and SPECIATION that must occur ... Be Wise , Be Bold,Be Magnificent , my Friend
@@anthonydavinci7985 I see some work done, but without falling into being fatalist, I am skeptical about the future, my friend
🙏
@@anthonydavinci7985 Germany will suffer less??? It is one planet last time I checked. Everyone will suffer.
Maybe it was German hikers that left plastic in the jungle
Donating plasma should be studied as a necessity to remove micro plastics from our own bodies. I haven't seen any other news about that yet, but don't be so sure that isn't something to beware of.... We are all effected, and continue polluting our wastewater from our clothing washing methods, as well as the other chemicals sold and marketed. Either that or nanorobots healthcare ...
hi
I'm
surprised
to see someone
that knows this
for they own eyes
the only reason
we are here
is to protect the planet
and live in harmony with each other
we killing the rivers
( the espresway of food by nature )
i wonder when this will stop
i hope is not too late to star
i love this planet and everything in it
unfortunately i'm seen like and alien in here up north
🪶🌞☄🧬🗿
9:06. When she said cleaning my yard and throwing it in the neighbors yard is the biggest truth I’ve ever heard about plastic
This has opened my eyes to how many sources of microplastics there are; this is truly terrifying. Personally, I believe we'll soon see this as the "lead in gasoline and paint" of our generation.
Meanwhile, the nuclear waste from the Fukushima disaster keeps going into the oceanwater, but that's no longer focused on as a problem????
Many problems are just hitting us at once and it’s looking like dark times very soon if these greedy ass corporations don’t take action 😒And I do what I can to reduce my plastic consumption.
@@kellyodowd3949 wtf are you talking about
We don't have time for this, we must concentrate on carbon dioxide or whatever they say is the current problem.
@Denis Den just because you are to dumb to understand what she said doesn’t mean other will over look it, NUCLEAR WASTE going into the ocean, can you not understand that? what do you think happens when nuclear waste goes into the ocean? durrrrrrrrrr
I find it incredibly offensive that EFFECTS/REPERCUSSIONS aren't the FIRST THING considered BEFORE a product/chemical is introduced to the masses. What about moral responsibility?
Remember who funds these colleges/universities projects…. They fund these research projects to benefit their company’s image…
The fact that people still think recycling helps in the fight against microspastics, is completely laughable
In the end, nothing is going to happen until we hold oil companies that produce the materials used for plastics, accountable.
@@Bl1ndm4n94ok Greta 😂
Well it does actually, the alternative materials used instead of plastic needs to be recycled if possible to generate the lowest amount of waste
@@Bl1ndm4n94yeah but in practice modern life is built on oil. How are you going to bite the hand which feeds you so to say?
I believe that we should strive for change, but the oil industry will try to sabotage every attempt at the lowest level if it doesn’t suit them financially. So they will need to have skin in the game.
Most simple solution: Stop. Making. Plastic.
For long days I'm waiting for such type of documentary about microplastic.
Here it is
just finished a unit at uni which i spent 3 months and 4 assignments on microplastics... scariest part of it all was how much we don't know about how they can affect our bodies, but they're not good so far lol. nanoplastics yes are the most dangerous, inhalation of them leads to inflammation of our lungs - and the ingestion of microplastics by macrophages causes cell death which further causes lung tissue inflammation as macrophage death releases many signalling pathways... pneumonia risk. additionally, old micro and nanoplastics from a polluted environment may be carriers for things like heavy metals which can then be unbinded and released in our body. anyway - not doing my masters but if i did i'd chose this topic for my research.
Thanks for sharing the info so succinctly. What do you hope to do once you finish uni?
Can you please share your research work
When I learned the plastic that is used to make Teflon was in the bloodstream of almost all humans, even the most remote regions. I was appalled. Just scary what this stuff could be doing to us. I hope these gentleman can find a solution.
It will build up to the point of killing all life.
They are causing a disrupt in endocrine causing more people to question their gender and transition. It’s already begun. Population has decreased due to the micro plastics affecting sperm.
Greed is greater than common sense.
Yep. Hard truth to swallow. I’m mentally Ill. A pessimist who has little room for optimism
Thanks to every individual and politician working on this.
Thank you DW for making this knowledgeable documentary.I always wanted to know about microplastics and its impact on human health.Keep it up 👍.
Thank you so much for watching and your positive feedback :)
This documentary reminds us to buy organic cotton when we can, to buy wooden or metallic alternatives when possible,
This documentary is still to mild, the truth is it's already to late.
It felt like they were purposefully downplaying the situation. "Our objective was always finding solutions not just highlighting all the bad things." a.k.a. Let's calm the general public by saying scientists have all the answers. I'm not buying it. And don't tell me I'm a conspiracy theorist because we've already been fooled once when they told us that plastics are recyclable. It's only natural to be a little suspicions. We need radical action, banning certain plastics altogether would be a good start.
I think so also.....oh well....😢
Far from the topic but being a DJ and also a professor seems super cool!
Great documentary! Loved it
This is a terrifying reality. I can’t see any way to completely clean this mess up and the Pacific garbage patch is simply enormous.
We can start by not adding more
@@paranoah1925 ABSOLUTELY!!!
We need to stop leaking non-soluble plastics first and substitute them with Timeplast
Mother Nature always balances out. Plastic is a natural material. It’s man made but everything we make is natural because it came from earth. There are hundreds of bacteria that break down plastics and even though a lot of damage is being done in the long term the earth will balance it out.
I just can’t see humanity overcoming the many problems of today, a lot of society has become blind and do not care and then we have the greedy individuals running the corporations causing all this.
I have no problem paying more taxes in Germany, it is just incredible that Germany and few other concerned countries are spending so much on research to combat all these crucial issues.
Better to spend on scientific research than military defense..
@@monsieurVi Both are equally important, you never know who can emerge as a next PUTIN!
@@Daniel-jb5dw True. I hope they will be equally spend on one day..
While there is endless screams about CO2 levels, where is the outrage for plastic waste? Or the chemicals that we dump in our water still to this day? Or the pharmaceuticals that we don't filter out of our waste water when we urinate it out? These are the things that will kill us, while we can adapt to the rise in temperature and sea levels, the chemicals that we've put into the environment that we do little about that can cause cancer, disrupt out endocrine system, can cause infertility, and who knows what else, that will not only kill off humanity but MOST of life on this planet.
I do love how bought science blames the consumer and not the producer
Stop saying we need to challenge how we deal with toxic plastic
Let's STOP MAKING IT.
Informative and surprising
To all my TWD fans, remember the existential dread expressed by Rick Grimes & crew when they found out that all of humanity was infected? That’s akin to what I feel discovering that we all harbor microplastics in our bloodstreams. The sheer disconcerting realization that we’re all poisoned regardless of the lifestyles we live or the concrete efforts made to evade the proven dangers associated w/ these chemicals.
Yeah. It's too late now. We shall all see the effects it may have on Gen x and after very soon......
Very fine documentary. I do not know exactly what hazards that micro-plastics pose to humans or other animals, in short LIFE, but have learned for years that waste plastic is a very serious problem in this world, here. I make use of plastics like for storing food, plus also for waste, but it would be great if we had healthy, earth-friendly alternatives ; hopefully, not too expensive.
Excellent 👍
Excellent.
Earth is suffocating in plastic, fortunately we got rid of plastic straws 🙄
We have five plastic islands in the oceans. They are giant micro-plastic mills which churn out plastic mountains on the sea floor. Some beaches in the Pacific have five-meter-deep piles of plastic on beaches, and rivers in many areas are choked with plastic. Bamboo and hemp could begin to slow down the problem very quickly. There are millions of tonnes of organic material available if we manage the forest and scrub fuel hazard materials more intelligently, we could grow both bamboo and hemp in humus alone, and without any other chemicals whatever.
Imagine..just imagine that scientists who can find problems to these solutions were given the money we spend on weapons to work on these environmental issues...we are too dumb and arrogant a species to survive our own hype
Yup in Fiji
@@pk3522 I have visited Fiji three times. It was in the sixties, and it was a clean and beautiful place. It is so sad to see such lovely Islands trashed by rubbish usually from Asia. Hope one day that we will clear it all up and never allow such things to happen ever again.
And the primary source of those islands are China and India. So what are you going to do about that?
Thanks DJ
I clean up trash on the creek behind my house regularly. Always a bummer when I pick up a bag thats 10 years old and it just deteriorates into hundreds of pieces.
We are the extinction level events- 👤🦖 ☄️
Bet everyone has it in the body.
Oh you do we on average consume a credit card worth of plastic a week.
Also in the fish in lake Michigan . Fish also has Rx in there. There was ' microbeads' in a few products for a while
Thank God for Timeplast, it was about time we found a solution. This is terrifying.
The Coronado Bridge in San Diego California has boats below it where people live aboard and they say that there boats are covered with small particle of black dust which is from the tires of the hundred cars going over the bridge daily. so it's also going in the water.
It definitely needs to be compounds that decompose, because very little of the recyclable plastic is ever actually recycled. While manufacturers put misleading recycle symbols on plastics which are never going to be recyclable.
When they say everyone eventually gets cancer, and then we wonder why.
I wonder if we could conduct blood and urine tests for micro plastic content? It would be interesting to know how much it has infiltrated our bodies.
It's in breast milk
Very telling how much people actually care about micro-plastics, the view count on this video is much lower then other DW videos.. Were doomed as a species.
Can anyone find the inventor online? DW didn't give any links on this or even show how his name is correctly spelled
Not sure how accurate the "scientific testing" is when using plastic tubing, plastic bag/net, & a plastic rimmed cannister. The use of these materials however exemplifies the scope of this issue. It is everywhere and in everything- of course it is in us and who knows what advanced, aggressive cancers and cardiac issues will explode on the scene in the next decades.
I Remember cleaning the Centrifugal Discs on A "DE LAVELL" Diesel Oil Scrubber .
We cleaned these twice in every 24 hour period . Usually there was a very fine grained clay , like Bentonite adhering to the Discs !
That I would scrub off . This was the same Fuel Oil we were delivering to the Market !
This is terrifying.
An iconic documentary about the microplastic threads to our environment. Which also shows the Meticulous job of the researchers.
In india the environment situation is getting so worsen day by day which makes me so scare after watching this documentary. In simply the individual decepline is the only tool to overcome from this scenario. The garbages segregation is starts from the hands of each individual citizens but throwing plastics on the street regardless of the effects to our environment and future generation makes me pity. God bless this universe and help us to combat this plastic eradication.
Loving the waistwater treatment addition and it will hopefully spread over all of europe.
Also, there are already plastic eating bacteria, right? Sooooo, could we make a version that would be safe to add to our 100.000ish gut bacteria and overall to the environment through the waist water? The idear would be, that they take care of mircoplastic before gut wall cells would engulf them.
Yes, could it all be dangerous to us? Yes. Electrical non-conductants. And then there is the problem of nano-plastics. Thanks to the researchers in Bayreuth. And above all the DuPont corporation. They are the ones who should be paying for all this research and the consequent clean-up. Which I cannot even begin to imagine. And once we already degenerate as a result of these intakes - who is going to think up the problem solutions?
Electrical non-conductants? ELABORATE
"Microplastics: part of a balanced breakfast!"
What do you do with the microplastics captured in the water filter?
I have completed my thesis on microplastics.
Link?
We need to ban plastics all together
Is the wide use of string trimmer contributing to micro plastic pollution as well? I can't find a documentary on that
They are already finding microplastics in the umbilical cords of newborn babies...
An important subject indeed and truly fascinating. The overdub is out of whack though🤣. Fungi will be the deal breaker is my belief. Our mushroom friends will make short work of this, I'm certain 👍 There are certainly strains of fungi that eat plastic.
Great... except that the fungi will probably then colonise us
@@ziggyzugg even better
There is nothing to break down micro plastics found your certainty isn't nothing unless you have a phd in plastic
I don't expect that the solition for producing microo plastics is separate from using only biodegradable alternatives.
If the research involves "changing our habits", that means it was fruitless. Unless it serves a better alternative or reveals something that can force a systemic change, don't base your solution on the willingness of the individual.
Filters on the road drains? Did anyone else start laughing at that part? Also holding new hose lol with zip ties holding that paper on it completely overlooked, hilarious.
Plastics are the biggest Midas effect in humanity today
The title should read "How dangerous are humans?".
3:12 for real?
"..The only thing to fear is fear itself.. and of course.. the microplastic.." -AJ
Okay but what was the result about microplastics from air?
that's a topic most don't want to address...
It's worse because it goes right into your bloodstream and into your organs and cells through the lungs. That what they said in a documentary I saw 3 weeks ago.
Microplastics are a minor issue in the air we breathe compared to the troubling chemicals like Aluminum, Barium, Mercury, Strontium, organic solvents, dead organic wastes like yeast, mold all these that are wastes of the chemical industry.
These are being dispersed globally (esp over cities) in small enough quantities over our heads that most people are unaware of it and are unaffected by it in the short term.
If you like to know more, search for apple podcast - the sky is falling - Medical Medium.
I Season My Burgers With Microplastics
We should enjoy the present without sacrificing our future...that to me equals banning 1st single use and 2nd plastic with additives 3rd finally full ban..only use biodegradable plastic. And not with the goal set in 10 years. Step one within a year, second within 2 and third within 3. Halt consumerism, fast fashion...food waste n ban planned obsolescence in tech/electronics....then aim for a circular economy. Buy 2nd hand, clothes, furniture/fittings, salvage yards often have doors, windows, wooden floors, resell or donate, min carpool or use public transport, or cycle, walk...possibly electric scooter. What's more important ....all future life or a cheap top, takeaway food in plastic lined cups/containers? We have to protest and vote with not purchasing. Also stop the sick conventional farming that kills soil, arthropods, amphibians n birds that help keep soils healthy, pollinate, provide free n natural pest control....and immediately stop factory farming systems. They are a breeding ground for new zoonotic diseases, use enormous amounts or valuable resources like water n the compacted dead soil leads to flooding or during heatwaves (bc they don't retain water n deplete groundwater) forest fires...and threatens ever more clear cutting of virgin rain forest to export nutrient deficient feed crops to our insane amounts of animals...who also suffer in this system; being units of production not sentient beings. Thanks DW for your excellent documentaries 👏
Hello, Chri. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts with us. We are glad to hear that you liked the documentary :)
@@DWDocumentary Thank YOU, keep em coming 🙏
This is a fact now, We must act..
How about the effects of using biodegradable plastic bags?
They aren't made of plastics, ths most common ones are made of sugar cane, waste from the process of making sugar to be more exact.
It's a microscopic microplastic!
I am currently working on micro plastics in my Msc.
Study the dangers as they wear plastic jackets; don't seem so concerned to me.
Glass used to be good? Its recyclable. Good old days?
In 100 years, there will be people saying "how could they be so stupid and use plastic" the same way we talk about asbestos and lead.
It is sad, since we do have alternatives..but again just like with asbestos, those alternatives are just more expensive.
Asbestos and lead are still being used to this day. These murdering psychopathic corporations always manage to fight the attempted bans on their materials in court. The EPA attempted to ban all uses of asbestos in 1989 but it was overturned due to "industry pressure" and since 1989, US companies have imported more than 500,000 tons of asbestos. The attempts to ban all asbestos are still ongoing.
The use of lead was never fully banned and they continue to use lead in plastic manufacturing to add to its resiliency and durability by softening it, making it more flexible so it returns to its initial shape, and to stabilize the molecules when exposed to heat in many items especially children's toys.
These factory and manufacturing industries (including agribusiness) are poisoning everything on earth, food, water and air. They need to be brought to their knees, heavily regulated and strictly monitored before they destroy every living thing on the planet.
The bag used to collect the sample looks like it is made out of plastic :-)
We're all screwed.
Now repeat these tests in towns in africa next to landfills full of european plastics. I would guess the concentrations there would be somewhat higher.
Somewhere in the past 20 years, petro chemical companies switched from ridiculing environmentalists to putting more emphasis on PR, financing small efforts to clean a beach now and then and by that selling their products as green and environmental friendly. Meanwhile the products they produced are still ending up in our rivers, in the ocean, in the air in our earth and ofcause also in our food and therefor in us. Which then with not much imagination one would think causes problems there. The companies won't tell us the formulars used in their products, as that is their property, depending on company they also wont change these formulars or would deny themselves selling products made out of them, continuing to contribute to the problem. They will keep their profits, while everyone else will have to suffer and pay the piper. Does that seem fair?
While i have some hope that here in germany, stricter regulations could be implemented, after all we are sticklers for those ^^, looking at the US or even other EU nations with less care for their environment or more economic pressures resulting in lobbys telling politicians what to do, i am sure we continue overall to certain doom. If not i would be happy to be proven wrong. Then again, looking back at some of our own scandals, like with the deception over exhaust fumes, there sure are still some greedy companies here which still will fuck us all over, too.
Summation: the problem won't be solved in nearest 100 years
we made it. now, we die from it
Thank you so much for this video! What most people seem to forget/don't realize is that PLASTICS ARE OIL. Which means they are constantly leaching CO2 and other hazardous chemicals as long as they exist. And we are increasingly breathing these in (nanoplastics and all) - ALL the time. The news media NEVER seems to bring this up. 🤔
Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
@@DWDocumentaryWeird though that you mentioned DJ's at the beginning of the video since gum chewers produce far more waste. Coz PCV is in chewing gums. Only eco gums do not have it
Wow...(!) - Did NOT know this... Perhaps that's why they leave indelible marks on sidewalks?!? @@karolinakuc4783
Thank you western civilization for all this you are really morality very just
It would be interesting to find out that we are inhaling too many micro plastics, seems to be the case
Have you lost anybody to microplastics? Is it just something else to be scared of? Puhleez!
@@chito127 no I haven’t to that specifically, but it’s called cancer. Also not that long of lifespans despite having access to, what would at first glance be the best healthcare and best access to nutrition in the history of the world.
I’m not scared of plastic, I actually highly value them and try to discourage vilifying plastics. But it would seems we’ve gone too far with them and I have to drawn the line somewhere. I study biology and i think it’s still being researched but it’s assumed the micro plastics are more dangerous because they are so small and being already tiny fragile fragments it can be broken down further by the body. The other issue is storage in the body, I believe anything like toxins or oils that are fat soluble so non polar molecules will be easily stored in the fat cells long term.
Dissolved in H2O and the sun.
Another documentary created that tells the entire world an unfathomably massive problem and people will just carelessly ignore for TikTok videos.
This is like a horror movie, a real horror movie
Today we eat plastic fish..
it might be a good idea to develop laws to regulate eco friendly plastic
Corn. Wheatstraw. Recycled paper and aluminum. They have had mushrooms and hair and bacteria and sunflowers that clean oil spills and toxic soil
Btw Brits and Aussies. it isn't Cumpusst(Compost) sounds like postman,postal,Fence-post,post-operative. YW
It doesn't help when countries like India, Philippines & Indonesia dump into their rivers and oceans.
Phillippines is the nr1 plastic polluter
2:30 "Visible plastic waste is unsightly but relatively easy to dispose of." And the garbage truck comes and takes it to a dump, where it will degrade into micro-plastics and enter the water table. Glad it won't be visible any longer.
The micro plastics in my lungs aren't visible either. Do they matter?
These people live in a dream world, we can not keep living the way we do in a sustainable way.
DW why did you remove your "Secluded treasures & tax incentives - The freeport system" documentary???
Some of our documentaries have been bought from other production companies and distributors
and therefore have limited online rights. Unfortunately, the online rights for that documentary have now expired. Thanks for watching!
@@DWDocumentary Makes sense. Did not know that about DW documentaries.
poor video editing - big fan of dw though, and great doc
This is what happens when money is more important than human life.
Rome was bullish on Lead even using it as a sweetener.
8bn ppl usage of plastic. Its catastrophic. 😢
(looking at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch). Where is the other 95% of the discarded plastic waste?
"ITS IN OUR BODIES...."
How is Pipette not wearing gloves???
DJs do not spread much PCV. Gum chewers do as most gums have it
And we wander why we are living basically with sleeping cancer cells
Well , how about Plastics used to hold water ?
Can they cause serious health problems or cancer ?
Oh man 😅 plastic water bottles is probably one of the worst food related things containing micro plastic.
we need some negative ions
Molecules of monomers and hazardous waste burners pollution are globally catastrophic. We are familiar with DDT pesticide effects on sperm count of all species. This is true of all halogenated vinyl and all halogenated carbon molecules. This is why fish populations are declining and coral reefs bleaching but fishing regulations will not have any effect on the population of fish.
Is anybody checked out micro metal particles they could be the worst new thing too. - stop the big plastic first
giving us comfortable lives, made the majority of us weak, and complainers.
What a mess....