Posted on 06/17/2023 4:51:04 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Millions of people around the world wear contact lenses, including reusable ones. But these plastic lenses don't last forever, and lenses need to be replaced every few days, weeks or months.
Though scientists are still grappling to understand the health and environmental impacts of microplastics, it is important to understand where they can appear and what systems they could impact. When measuring aquatic microplastic pollution, researchers generally filter plastic fragments from large amounts of sampled water.
The researchers gathered six kinds of contact lenses from various brands and of different lifespans. To mimic normal wear and care, the lenses were stored in water, kept under a lamp that mimicked sunlight and were rinsed with water three times every 10 hours. After receiving the equivalent of 30 or 90 days of sunlight, the water each lens was stored in was analyzed.
To determine the number of microplastics in small samples, researchers designed an automated system that took microscopic images of the samples, processed those images, and quantified any microplastics that were present.
In tests with standard amounts of microplastics, the team found that the new system's analyses were quicker and more accurate than manual. In the absence of any simulated sunlight, no microplastics were detected. However, the researchers observed increasing amounts when contact lenses were exposed to the equivalent of 90 days of sunlight. Lenses with shorter lifetimes showed the greatest amount of shed microplastics after this exposure.
Based on their data in this small-scale study, the researchers estimate that more than 90,000 microplastic particles per year could be shed from some lenses if worn for 10 hours a day. The human health impact of direct exposure of microplastics to eyes is not currently known, but the researchers say their findings indicate that more studies in this area are urgently needed.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I would have thought them to be harmless, like dust, but they are smaller than dust, most of the time.
It has made me briefly rinse cups I left out, before drinking from them, and encouraged me putting lids on them. It’s also made me more aware of air filtration and the need for more frequent vacuuming.
90,000 microplastics from contacts that look normal, but were only sitting in water (with UV light at the Sun’s strength? Bizarre.
bkmk
Hmmm, I got implanted lenses because of cataracts. Wonder if they shed.
This is another mindless study that serves no purpose. Literally over 100M people worldwide wear them and most never have an issue. I’ve been wearing lenses for almost 40 years. Never an issue except the occasional tear or the piece that needs to be flushed.
Great question, for future reference.
Thinking the same thing.
Prob sponsored by Lasik docs. Contacts been in use for at least 50 years...and they STILL don’t know the effect on human health...they didn’t measure how fast the microplastics deteriorate did they? Bogus propaganda...and I don’t wear contacts
Prob sponsored by Lasik docs. Contacts been in use for at least 50 years...and they STILL don’t know the effect on human health...they didn’t measure how fast the microplastics deteriorate did they? Bogus propaganda...and I don’t wear contacts
I got my first pair of hard lenses in 1965.
I have had daily wear contacts for 10 years. Before that I had weeklies or monthlies I had to clean since 1990 or so.
It’s hooey.
And yet, we live a much longer life than those people who lived before plastics. People worry too much.
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