How microplastics react with water to damage our bodies and cause inflammation

Plain old water could be responsible for making plastics harmful to people, according to a new study that portends significant consequences for human health. The study, published in the journal Nature, found chemical reactions between water and six types of fossil fuel-based plastic-created particles that damaged red blood cells and proteins in laboratory tests. As plastic in the body breaks down into smaller and smaller bits – known as microplastics and nanoplastics – the potential danger...