Babies poop has way higher levels of microplastic than adults

When it comes to babies, a considerable amount of plastic appears to be both going in one end and out the other, according to new research that involved spatulas, diapers, and poop. In particular, the average concentration of one pervasive type of microplastic in baby stool was a whopping ten times higher than that in adult stool in a small pilot study published this week. The plastic, called PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is widely used in bottles and polyester textiles.

The results suggest that infants could be exposed to even higher levels of microplastics than adults, the study authors say. When babies shove toys or clothing in their mouths, they might end up ingesting tiny fibers or pieces of plastic. Then there are plastic...

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