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Microplastics Found In Human Hearts For First Time, Showing Impact Of Pollution (www.forbes.com)
submitted 2 years ago by [M, B] to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Microplastics Found In Human Hearts For First Time, Showing Impact Of Pollution::A study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology for found microplastics in the hearts and blood of humans undergoing cardiac surgery.

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[–] 13 points 2 years ago (1 child)

Implantable devices can't be compostable. Catheters and other things that will go inside your body cannot be compostable. That's not the easy solution you think it is.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I know, and I don't have any solid solutions. I'm a single person that never studied materials science. I'd love to have all the solutions, but I don't. The plastic waste that comes to mind for me in a medical setting is the packaging for sterile products, which could definitely be made of industrially compostable materials. Implantable devices is far more complex, but biologically inert metals exist.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The packaging could not be either. Sterility has to be assured for the shelf life of the device. Those are typically years. These materials aren't just cheap or convenient. They've been vetted over decades of research and testing.

    Now this isn't meant to rain on your parade. Just showing how even the best intentions can fall short. Tossing out solutions in areas you aren't familiar with can just muddy discussions.

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