• @PugJesusOPM
    link
    English
    13
    edit-2
    4 months ago

    Explanation: The Romans used lead-lined cookware not in ignorance of its dangers, but wholly cognizant of them - the Romans recognized lead poisoning from various sources, and regarded lead as ‘unwholesome’ to human health.

    They used lead widely in many applications that they could be forgiven for thinking were not dangerous - they understood how to prevent lead leaching in pipes, and used lead in writing tablets. Less forgivably, in cosmetics. But most dangerous of all was the use of lead pots in making ‘defrutum’ - sweet wine jelly syrup, which wealthy Romans loved to put on everything. The thing is, the process uses lead specifically because other materials won’t do - copper and iron leave an aftertaste, while lead vessels actually make it sweeter, as lead itself acetate is slightly sweet.

    What’s a little harmless poison in your condiments, after all?

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    84 months ago

    To be fair, most microplastics come from tires and synthetic clothing, not plastic vessels used for food.

    • @FireRetardant
      link
      English
      44 months ago

      There is still the problem that most plastics will exist with us for 100s of years. Landfill space isn’t free, it blows around and pollutes the environment, and it is made from oil products.

      Plastic is killing us even if it isn’t just the microplaatics.

      We could also reduce trie use by building better cities and more transit, we could go back to using more natural fibres for our clothing.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        4
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        I love plastic. They were right in the midcentury, it’s a wonder material. The fact we use it for cheap disposables (well, “disposables”) is an insult to the chemists that brought us something so wonderful.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        24 months ago

        Sure. It still helps a lot to be able to correctly quantify where the microplastic is coming from. Would YOU have guessed that most of it comes from tires? I wouldn’t have.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      And most ocean plastic is straight up fishing gear.

      If you’re going to do anything political with your diet stop eating seafood, guys. If it’s bad, that industry does it.

  • @I_Has_A_Hat
    link
    English
    -54 months ago

    There has yet to be a solid study showing negative health effects from plastic. Yes, it is EVERYWHERE now, and that’s definitely not a good thing. But it’s not like we have any real signs of it causing disease or cancer.

      • @I_Has_A_Hat
        link
        English
        04 months ago

        Unless something has come out in the last year or two, yes it is. There are all sorts of studies showing micro plastics have gotten pretty much everywhere in our bodies, in the soil, in the rain, but no major study has yet to correlate that with any kind of health issues

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      14 months ago

      I mean, there’s a few hints now like the other person posted, but I think it’s fair to say we can’t say for sure it’s comparable to other modern health hazards.

      The spike in autism has me wondering, though.