{"id":5509,"date":"2023-07-11T19:56:05","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T12:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5509"},"modified":"2023-07-11T19:56:05","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T12:56:05","slug":"microplastics-in-seafood-and-cancer-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5509","title":{"rendered":"Microplastics in Seafood and Cancer Risk\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Plastic particles may exacerbate the pollutant contamination of fish.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cPlastic debris in the marine environment <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/345\/6193\/144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">is<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> more than just an unsightly problem.\u201d The concern is not so much discarded bobbing bottles, but the tiny microplastic particles, which <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26074024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">raises<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> questions about cancer. What does plastic have to do with cancer? As I discuss in my video <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/are-microplastics-in-seafood-a-cancer-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Are Microplastics in Seafood a Cancer Risk?<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, in the 1950s, researchers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/13089687\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">observed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that when they wrapped the kidneys of rats with cellophane (to cause high blood pressure), they inadvertently ended up causing cancer. Cancers started growing around the cellophane. When the researchers tried slipping different plastics under the skin of rodents, they found that each of them could produce malignant tumors. In addition, if you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/8568621\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">feed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> rats plastic microbeads, up to 6 percent of the particles end up in their bloodstream within 15 minutes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Could all of this microplastics pollution be one of the reasons we\u2019re <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19816457\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">seeing<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> an increased number of tumors found in wildlife? \u201cPerhaps the global increase in wildlife cancers is a \u2018wake-up call\u2019 at the right time.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We don\u2019t <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26298603\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">know<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> if it\u2019s the plastic itself or some of the chemical additives, like <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">bisphenol A (BPA), that are to blame. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Maybe having plastic particles stuck in your body causes some sort of mechanical irritation beyond \u201cthe chemical impact of the plastics as carriers of possible carcinogens into organisms.\u201d Some plastics may be cancer-causing in and of themselves, but all \u201c[p]lastic debris readily <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/345\/6193\/144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">accumulates<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> harmful chemicals,\u201d such as persistent pesticides like <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (DDT), <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">polychlorinated biphenyls<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (PCBs), and flame-retardant chemicals, \u201cincreasing their concentration by orders of magnitude. This process is reversible, with microplastics releasing contaminants upon ingestion\u2026\u201d So, plastic debris may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23088563\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">act<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> as a vector, transferring persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances \u201cfrom the water to the food web.\u201d \u201cPlastics are known to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26963589\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">concentrate<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> pollution from the water column by factors of up to 1 million times\u201d\u2014PCBs, for example. In fact, one of the ways environmental scientists sample for contamination levels is by using plastic to sponge up pollutants.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The concern is that the plastic <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25643424\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">takes<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> up all of these toxins and then deposits them into the aquatic food chain, where they can climb up, possibly, ultimately, into humans. This was all theoretical until researchers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26963589\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">confirmed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> it. Chemical pollutants were found to glom on to microbeads from personal care products that were then ingested by fish and accumulated in the animal. The longer you feed polluted microbeads to fish, the higher the levels of contamination in their flesh. As you can see in the graph below and at 2:31 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/are-microplastics-in-seafood-a-cancer-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, pollutant levels can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26963589\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">concentrate<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> up the food chain with maximum exposure in the apex predators, like killer whales or people. The herring eats a bunch of brine shrimp. The cod eats a bunch of herring. The halibut or tuna eats a bunch of cod. And, finally, humans eat the halibut and tuna.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-93868\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-960x525.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-1024x560.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-768x420.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-1536x840.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-1200x656.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-720x394.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2-31-540x295.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We know ingested plastic can transfer hazardous chemicals to fish, which then <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24263561\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">accumulate<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and can cause liver toxicity and pathology in the fish, but what happens in people? We <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23088563\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">know<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that in the United States, of all food categories, fish have the highest levels of PCBs, dioxins, and other pollutants. We don\u2019t eat a lot of fish in this country, though, so is it really a problem?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;134245417&quot;:false}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s hard to come up with a tolerable daily intake of these kinds of chemicals, but the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends staying under one to four units a day (measured in picograms of toxic equivalents). The European Union came up with a smaller number: no more than two units a day on average. In the United States, we\u2019re already past that, \u201cso there is some concern for toxicity from PCBs at current levels of PCBs and plastic debris polluting the ocean. There is no \u2018room\u2019 for additional PCB burden,\u201d so what can we do about it?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We can practice the three Rs by reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic items\u2014for example, shopping with reusable tote bags. On a policy level, we could <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26334581\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ban<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the use of plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products. Ideally, all countries would do it, since plastic debris <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23088563\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">dropped<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> anywhere on earth may end up being transported to the ocean, where it can travel around the world. \u201cWhatever strategies are adopted, international cooperation will be critical in limiting the risk to the oceans and the risk to humans from eating seafood.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">To learn more about microplastic pollution, see my videos <\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/microplastic-contamination-and-seafood-safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microplastic Contamination and Seafood Safety<\/a><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and <\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/how-much-microplastic-is-found-in-fish-fillets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Much Microplastic Is Found in Fish Fillets?<\/a><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"\/>  <\/div>\n<p><script>\n            !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n            {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n                n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n            if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n            n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n            t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n            s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n                'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n            fbq('init', '1582627921973608');\n            fbq('track', 'PageView');\n        <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plastic particles may exacerbate the pollutant contamination of fish.\u00a0 \u201cPlastic debris in the marine environment is more than just an unsightly problem.\u201d The concern is not so much discarded bobbing bottles, but the tiny microplastic particles, which raises questions about cancer. What does plastic have to do with cancer? As I discuss in my video &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}