Plastic Chemicals Make their Way from Oceans to Food Chain to Humans
Published: 8 April 2010
Category: Bisphenol A (BPA), Packaging CONCERNS, Phthalates, Reproductive/Hormonal Changes, Studies/State & Federal Regulations
According to “Conservation Magazine,” plastic is making its way from the oceans into the food chain, with some of the most obvious victims being dead seabirds and marine mammals. Captain Charles Moore with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation has found sea samples that contain six much times as much plastic as they do plankton. There is growing and disturbing proof that humans are also ingesting these plastic toxins, including the chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, and that even slight doses of these substances can severely disrupt gene activity. While plastic recycling is complicated, glass is easily recyclable. According to Moore, “There’s no legal way to recycle a milk container into another milk container without adding a new virgin layer of plastic.”