B2 – Upper Intermediate
A joint statement by the EPA and HHS gave incorrect figures about how many microplastics are found in the brain and did not clearly explain how they plan to regulate the issue.
Meanwhile, a study in Nature Health reported that microplastics were present in almost all of the 191 human brain samples it examined.
Read the article to know why microplastics have become embedded in our modern lives.
https://healthpolicy-watch.news/microplastics-in-the-brain/
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “turning point” mean? “US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr hailed a federal proposal by the EPA to track microplastics contamination in drinking water earlier this month as “a turning point” in the effort to confront microplastics that have “become embedded in modern life.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “engulf” mean? “The threat of micro- and nanoplastics contamination in the brain tissue raises significant concern as they can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, where they are subsequently engulfed by the brain’s immune cells, known as microglia” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “stringent” mean? “They stressed that this direct exposure pathway demands global attention and the urgent establishment of stringent quality-control standards within the healthcare industry..” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- What was your reaction when you learned that microplastics can be found in the human brain?
- How do you think microplastics enter the human body and reach the brain?
- What possible health effects do you think microplastics could have on humans?
- Do you think governments and companies are doing enough to reduce plastic pollution? Why or why not?
- What simple changes can individuals make in their daily lives to reduce exposure to microplastics?