Re:Why some clothes shrink in the wash – and how to 'unshrin...
by dekhn on Wednesday January 14, 2026 @02:10PM
(#46621076)
Nearly every environment-adjacent field has concern nannies who make unrealistic risk assessments which then get regurgitated into guilt-inspiring newspaper articles. This is especially common when there is no way to determine for certain what the actual risk is; some folks fall on the "allow zero risk" side.
Re:Why some clothes shrink in the wash – and how to 'unshrin...
by cyberax on Wednesday January 14, 2026 @02:21PM
(#46621287)
Some concern is warranted. I think that plasticizer or dyes leaching from plastics is a very real problem, so I try to avoid food stored in plastic containers (this includes tin cans, they are often lined with plastic).
This is a solvable problem, though. Polyethylene doesn't need plasticizers.
Re:Why some clothes shrink in the wash – and how to 'unshrin...
by IAmBroom on Thursday January 15, 2026 @08:09AM
(#46631916)
> I think that plasticizer or dyes leaching from plastics is a very real problem
Maybe. You're apparently guessing. It might be a trivial concern. The post above you is pointing out that, lacking real data, we don't know.
I used to be. So I spent quite a lot of time researching the issue. Not just google searches, but actually speaking with biologists.
I think that the current microplastic scare is overblown. The "credit card worth of plastic in brain" articles are just ridiculous. Biologically, the body has defenses against microscopic contaminants in blood. There are special immune cells that "eat" insoluble particles and then get excreted (typically in bile).
It looks like I'm not alone in my bafflement: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/scary-research-... or https://www.vox.com/climate/475004/microplastics-research-fa...