Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
A small new study has found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more microplastics in their feces.
Researchers based in China wrote about their findings in a peer-reviewed paper published the journal Environmental Science & Technology on Wednesday. The examined fecal samples from 50 healthy people and 52 people with IBD, which refers to digestive tract conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
The researchers found that fecal matter from those with IBD had 50 per cent more microplastic particles per gram compared to those from healthy subjects.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that are less than five millimetres long and are created through the degradation of plastic-containing products. These particles have been observed polluting various natural ecosystems, but they can also end up in the human body through air pollution as well as the use of take-out food containers, plastic water bottles and certain clothing.
The health effects of microplastics exposure in humans remains unclear, but previous studies have found that microplastics can cause intestinal inflammation and gut microbiome disturbances in some animals.
The study found that microplastics in the fecal matter of people with IBD were also smaller than those of the healthy subjects. The IBD participants had particles that were smaller than 50 micrometres, or 0.05 millimetres.
In both groups, the two most common types of plastics were polyethylene terephthalate (found in water bottles and food containers) and polyamide (found in food packaging and clothing).
"These results suggest that plastic packaging is an important source of human (microplastics) exposure," the authors wrote.
People who had more severe IBD symptoms also tended to have more microplastics in their fecal matter, the study found.
In addition, participants from both groups were surveyed about their lifestyle. The participants who reported drinking more bottled water, eating more take-out and being more exposed to dust were also found to have more microplastics in their feces.
While their research shows a correlation between IBC and microplastics in fecal matter, the researchers say it's unclear whether more exposure to microplastics increases the risk of getting IBD, or if people with IBD have more microplastics as a result of their disease.
"The relative mechanisms deserve further studies," the authors wrote.
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues the 'Team Canada' charm offensive to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders, Canada's ambassador to the United States downplayed the effect of another Trump presidency on Canada.
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
The organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores say they've decided to extend the boycott past May.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.