Material world: should you worry about microplastics?

Few materials have had such an influence on humanity as plastic. But as a result, tiny fragments, known as microplastics, have become ubiquitous in the environment. They have been found in Earth’s most pristine environments, from Antarctica to the deepest ocean trenches. And researchers have even detected microplastics in human blood and breast milk, and in organs such as the heart and the brain. How worried should you be about their impact on human health?

Hosts: The Economist’s Alok Jha and Gilead Amit. Contributors: Mark Miodownik of University College London; Douglas Walker of Emory University; and The Economist’s health-care correspondent, Slavea Chankova. 

Read more about new ways to recycle plastic and how to manage waste better.

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