Experiment Plastik: Wie schädlich ist Kunststoff für Körper und Umwelt? | Quarks

Our plastic waste is becoming an increasing problem: Plastic packaging is often incinerated after a single use, and plastic waste ends up in rivers, spoils beaches, and forms huge plastic whirlpools in the ocean. The end result is microplastics, which also end up in the human body – via our food or the air we breathe. Quarks, together with WDR health expert Doc Esser, is conducting an unusual experiment in Cologne's pedestrian zone and offering volunteers a free microplastic measurement: How many plastic particles do we have in our bodies? The results are surprising. Little is known about the damage these tiny plastic particles can do to the body. Yet research into microplastics has been conducted for 20 years. Where these tiny particles accumulate and how harmful they can be is the subject of many studies. Quarks has compiled what is known so far. Our plastic waste is a problem for the environment. Cheap crude oil ends up in packaging, and although we collect plastic waste for recycling, almost half of it is incinerated. This produces climate-damaging CO2. Since many people are convinced that plastic can be reused, they have been separating their waste with conviction for years, collecting plastic packaging in the yellow bag or yellow bin. But how well do we really know? Quarks reporter Adrian Pflug has volunteers separate waste in the Quarks experiment. He immediately checks the results in the Quarks mini-sorting facility. We'll reveal one thing up front: Unfortunately, separating waste is much more complicated than you think! 0:00 Introduction: Plastic waste is becoming a problem 0:46 How much microplastic is in our bodies? The Quarks Test 3:25 Why microplastics are dangerous! 5:56 Quarks Test Part 2 7:59 The six biggest sources of microplastics 10:18 Quarks Test Part 3 11:53 The Quarks Challenge: How well do you separate your waste? 16:52 This is what happens to the plastic from the yellow bag! 17:49 The Quarks Challenge – The Results Authors/Editors: Axel Bach, Reinhart Brüning, Claudia Heiss, Eva Schultes Camera/Editing: Tobias Bader, Michael Becker, Jürgen Behrens, Monika Eise, Ines Müller, Mathias Schick, Reinold Specks Graphics/Animation: Robert Bodner, Jörg Reddemann, Lilian Rogge Quarks Reporters: Dr. Heinz-Wilhelm "Doc" Esser, Adrian Pflug Image thumbnail source: [CREATOR]/stock.adobe.com --- Thanks for watching! Did you enjoy the video? Then subscribe now to the only official Quarks channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Quarks?sub_co... Also visit: https://www.quarks.de #Quarks on Instagram:   / quarks.de     / beautyquarks   Quarks on Twitter:   / quarkswdr   Quarks on Facebook:   / quarks.de   #Quarks #Plastic #Experiment