Wendy Zukerman (Host)

Pyrolysis, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry.

Pyrolysis, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry.

Okay.

Okay.

Uh-huh. So they're looking for the fingerprints of plastics within those brain samples that they just burnt up.

Uh-huh. So they're looking for the fingerprints of plastics within those brain samples that they just burnt up.

Yeah, that does sound scary. Yeah.

Yeah, that does sound scary. Yeah.

Oh, that was the funnest part.

Oh, that was the funnest part.

It's kind of like if you had a bunch of baked goods, muffins, loaves, soufflés, I don't know. Anyway, and then you burnt them all up and put them through your pyrolysis spectrometer, whatever. And then on the line, it all just looked like flour or something.

It's kind of like if you had a bunch of baked goods, muffins, loaves, soufflés, I don't know. Anyway, and then you burnt them all up and put them through your pyrolysis spectrometer, whatever. And then on the line, it all just looked like flour or something.

Oh, this is a big deal because the brain is full of fat. Exactly.

Oh, this is a big deal because the brain is full of fat. Exactly.

So what did the authors of that plastic spoon paper say about this general problem that you can't tell the difference between healthy fats and plastics?

So what did the authors of that plastic spoon paper say about this general problem that you can't tell the difference between healthy fats and plastics?

Oh, that seems smart. So they thought they got rid of all the fat, so anything they're seeing is truly plastic.

Oh, that seems smart. So they thought they got rid of all the fat, so anything they're seeing is truly plastic.

Okay. And in our microplastics episode, we talked about blood having microplastics in it. Are you now questioning that paper?

Okay. And in our microplastics episode, we talked about blood having microplastics in it. Are you now questioning that paper?