Bioplastics, heralded for supposedly breaking down more quickly, can cause similar health problems to other plastics

Starch-based bioplastic that is said to be biodegradable and sustainable is potentially as toxic as petroleum-based plastic, and can cause similar health problems, new peer-reviewed research finds.

Bioplastics have been heralded as the future of plastic because it breaks down quicker than petroleum-based plastic, and is often made from plant-based material such as corn starch, rice starch or sugar.

The material is often used in fast fashion clothing, wet wipes, straws, cutlery and a range of other products. The new research found damage to organs, changes to the metabolism, gut microbe imbalances that can lead to cardiovascular disease, and changes to glucose levels, among other health issues.

The authors say their study is the first to confirm “adverse effects of long-term exposure” in mice.

Study … https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.4c10855

  • frezik@midwest.social
    101·
    1 day ago

    Landfills don’t necessarily sequester the CO2 for long. Often, they release the carbon as methane. Methane is a much worse greenhouse gas than CO2, and so landfills often pipe the methane to be burned. The amount of CO2 released for every unit of methane is a smaller greenhouse concern than the original methane, but none of this should be considered sequestration.

    • FaceDeer@fedia.io
      72·
      1 day ago

      If the plastic is not degrading then it’s not releasing anything, be it methane or CO2.

      Isn’t one of the big talking points against plastic the “it’ll be around for thousands of years” thing?