To fight back against micro-plastics and nano-plastics now evolving in waters, soils, air, clouds (see here), rains, snows and even our own organisms (see here), I propose an idea to fight off the general political lack of action. As the this second Millennia do only start, micro-plastics and nano-particles of plastic have been found in mothers' placenta (see here), indeed, this have neuro-toxicological effects on us (and for this particular study, on the baby), quoting :

" Different human health problems like irritation in the eye, vision failure, breathing difficulties, respiratory problems, liver dysfunction, cancers, skin diseases, lungs problems, headache, dizziness, birth effect, reproductive, cardiovascular, genotoxic, and gastrointestinal causes for using toxic plastics.

Paper source

➠ Idea

As the situation is worsening, the set of disposable solutions is too. Hence, it is moving moral and ethical questioning toward a more complex dilemma where the better equilibrium to be found may have to partially ablate part of theses considerations. 

To protect living organisms (like animals, plants or humans) from micro-plastics toxicological effects, we could study the insertion of plasticophage* bacteria (meaning bacteria that degrade plastic to survive) inside mucous membranes such as the human micro-meter (stomach bacterial environment). See microbiome transplantation emerging therapy field (clic here).

Such bacteria already exist, quoting :

" The plastic degrading enzymes we've seen are quite similar to natural enzymes that degrade the coating of plants leaves.

" The question is whether the same could be accomplished with plastic in the environment has received far less interest — and funding.

Article source

➠ Technical consideration (#Key:AICocreation — Gemini)

• Would the bacteria survive the microbiote flora as survival conditions are predetermined by acidity, resource availability and inter-species cohabitation ? And, if we introduce a bacteria that can degrade microplastics, would it actually create a more favorable environment for other bacteria in the microbiom ? As by eliminating microplastics, we remove a source of disruption — so it could help restore some balance in the system. My hypothesis is that the introduction of a bacteria that recycles microplastics would induce an acquired tolerance in between bacteria species, as this perturbator would then be then regulated.

• Could this plasticophage bacteria insertion in the microbiom be done in a way that avoids flora degradation ? Could it still be effective within the conditions of our organism ?

• Which bacteria should be selected as we encounter PET, PVC polyéthylène, etc ?

• Would there be long term effect (impact studies), or even a pathogen risk ?

• Could this insertion be done with :

  • • Water, in a bottle or directly through city's circuits ;

    • A pill especially for pregnant women to counter the presence of micro-plastic in the placenta ;

    • An ointment to counter the presence of micro-plastics in the skin's superficial layer (or even muscular tissues) ;

• What would be the legal framework for these ?

➠ Note about ethical considerations and past anticipation work, quoting

" Aside from the market problem, there is also a legal one.

" The reasons for this are obvious. In the 1971 science fiction story Mutant 59: The Plastic Eater, a virus with the ability to instantaneously melt plastic spreads across the world, knocking planes out of the air and collapsing houses. It is unlikely any plastic-eating bacteria would become that efficient, but perturbing microbes can have devastating consequences. 

Ibid source

So, to summarize the ethical and moral questioning issued from this potential solution to resolve a complexity problem growing exponentially faster : are we ready to voluntarily force our organisms to evolve and mutate with such bacteria in our mucous membranes and microbiome at a global scale to survive ?

➠ Press

August 2024 : Notre cerveau est criblé de microplastiques, et c’est une mauvaise nouvelle

Scientific pre-paper : Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Decedent Human Brains Assessed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

September 2024, alleged proofs of micro-plastic in our brains : Microplastics are infiltrating brain tissue, studies show: ‘There’s nowhere left untouched’  (paper here)

*_Neologism from "plastic" and "-phage" from the ancient Greek -φάγος (-phágos, “eater”, “to eat, to consume”).