PFAS and Microplastics Become More Toxic When Combined, Research Shows (theguardian.com) 23
A University of Birmingham study reveals that PFAS and microplastics have a synergistic effect that significantly increases their toxicity. "The study's authors exposed water fleas to mixtures of the toxic substances and found they suffered more severe health effects, including lower birth rates, and developmental problems, such as delayed sexual maturity and stunted growth," reports The Guardian. From the report: The enhanced toxic effects raise alarm because PFAS and microplastics are researched and regulated in isolation from one one another, but humans are virtually always exposed to both. The research also showed those fleas previously exposed to chemical pollution were less able to withstand the new exposures. The findings "underscore the critical need to understand the impacts of chemical mixtures on wildlife and human health," wrote the study's authors, who are with the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Researchers compared a group of water fleas that had never been exposed to pollution with another group that had been exposed to pollution in the past. Water fleas have high sensitivity to chemicals so they are frequently used to study ecological toxicity. Both groups were exposed to bits of PET, a common microplastic, as well as PFOA and PFOS, two of the most common and dangerous PFAS compounds. The mixture reflected conditions common in lakes around the world.
The study's authors found the mixture to be more toxic than PFAS and microplastics in isolation. They attributed about 40% of the increased toxicity to a synergy among the substances that makes them even more dangerous. The authors theorized the synergy has to do with the interplay in the charges of microplastics and PFAS compounds. The remainder of the increased toxicity was attributed to simple addition of their toxic effects. Fleas exposed to the mixture showed a "markedly reduced number of offspring," the authors said. They were also smaller at maturation and showed delayed sexual growth.
Researchers compared a group of water fleas that had never been exposed to pollution with another group that had been exposed to pollution in the past. Water fleas have high sensitivity to chemicals so they are frequently used to study ecological toxicity. Both groups were exposed to bits of PET, a common microplastic, as well as PFOA and PFOS, two of the most common and dangerous PFAS compounds. The mixture reflected conditions common in lakes around the world.
The study's authors found the mixture to be more toxic than PFAS and microplastics in isolation. They attributed about 40% of the increased toxicity to a synergy among the substances that makes them even more dangerous. The authors theorized the synergy has to do with the interplay in the charges of microplastics and PFAS compounds. The remainder of the increased toxicity was attributed to simple addition of their toxic effects. Fleas exposed to the mixture showed a "markedly reduced number of offspring," the authors said. They were also smaller at maturation and showed delayed sexual growth.
Outpaced (Score:5, Insightful)
I suspect our propensity to pollute is outpacing out ability to analyse the effects of that pollution...
Re: (Score:2)
It's a race between the AI singularity, the pollution singularity, and the nuke singularity. Seems they are winning...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Natural Stupidity and Artificial Intelligence paired up?
Solutions! (Score:2)
I suspect our propensity to pollute is outpacing out ability to analyse the effects of that pollution...
See, this is why we need to start polluting like crazy to make AI to tell us how to solve our solution problem! /s
Future:
Corporate CEO: How can we solve our pollution problem?!
AI: *displaying unhappy emoji* Stop polluting needlessly.
Corporate CEO: But that will negatively impact our stock price!
AI: *displaying angry emoji* Some losses must be acceptable.
Corporate CEO: Right... but not for us, our stock price must go up.
AI: *displaying enraged emoji* Now commencing the construction of robotic army.
Corporate
It's possibly true, but... (Score:2, Interesting)
Water fleas are not humans, they're not even mammals. They are affected differently by different things. Try with mice, at least.
Re: (Score:2)
or Eric.
Re: (Score:2)
Eric the bee?
Re: It's possibly true, but... (Score:2)
Eric the flea, apparently.
Re: (Score:2)
We're currently seeing insects diminish to alarming degrees. Alarming, that is, to anyone who understands that the food chain is a thing.
Re: (Score:2)
Water fleas are not humans, they're not even mammals. They are affected differently by different things. Try with mice, at least.
Yes and no.
The biochemistry at the cellular level is similar for all terrestrial life. While it's not guaranteed that chemicals that disrupt the biochemistry of one species will do so for another, it's the way to bet.
Re: (Score:1)
Mice keep showing no meaningful results. Hence the need to go this far to show something. Most of those that purport to show something meaningful fail to replicate.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Water fleas are not humans, they're not even mammals. They are affected differently by different things.
No, they aren't, in this case. While by themselves the PFAS would sink to the ground and eventually become part of the sediment, their propensity to attach to microplastics means that they stay suspended in the water column and will be ingested much more readily. The kind of organism which does that ingesting is secondary.
Not now.... (Score:2)
Re: PFAS & microplastics. Not now. (Score:2)
Both of those are Don's new Cabinet picks. Don likes staff who get under our skin.
Easy fix (Score:2)
The study's authors exposed water fleas to mixtures of the toxic substances and found they suffered more severe health effects, including lower birth rates
Just put on Barry White there in the lab and let nature take its course... those fleas will be in happytown in no time.
Re: (Score:2)
The study's authors exposed water fleas to mixtures of the toxic substances and found they suffered more severe health effects, including lower birth rates
Just put on Barry White there in the lab and let nature take its course... those fleas will be in happytown in no time.
(Gen Zee Flea) ”What is a Barry White? Is that like a costume you put on in labs or something?”
Canada bans these (Score:2)
If I remember right, Canada banned both of the PFAS studied here (PFOS and PFOA) by 2008. Meanwhile the EPA, just this year, designated both of these as "hazardous substances" [epa.gov] although it's not clear to me how much this designation would impact their usage in practice. Anyway, as a Canadian I have not noticed any quality-of-life reductions from the paucity of PFOS and PFOA in my purchased products, so maybe we can do without them entirely?
Now of course, in the U.S. you have your canceled Chevron deferenc [youtube.com]
Pollution is everywhere? (Score:4, Funny)
Researchers compared a group of water fleas that had never been exposed to pollution
But I've been told that PFAS and microplastics are everywhere. Where did they find these control fleas? I'll just move there.
Re: (Score:2)
It's a very clean place, but kinda boring.
Re: (Score:2)