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Our Oceans are Turning Into Plastic
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 A plastic “stew” that’s twice the size of Texas is swirling through the Pacific Ocean. Scientists have dubbed the mass of plastic bags, jugs, bottles, nets and other plastic junk the “Eastern Garbage Patch,” and its volume is growing at an alarming pace.
The plastic pollution is now inevitably entering the food chain, with the most obvious casualties seabirds and other marine animals who ingest the various junk bottle caps, cigarette lighters and more, or become entangled or strangled by plastic bands and bags. The plastic causes more than 1 million seabirds, 100,000 marine mammals, and even more fish to die in the North Pacific alone every year.
Disturbing as those statistics may sound, the following finding is even more chilling: When the researchers tested the ocean water, they found that it contained miniscule pieces of plastic, and, by weight, actually contained six times as much plastic as plankton.
Of course, it’s not just marine animals that are subject to this plastic burden. People, too, are ingesting plastics every day, and being exposed to a potentially deadly mix of plastic chemicals and additives, including:
- Cancer-causing PFOAs
- PBDEs, which cause reproductive problems
- The reproductive toxins, phthalates
- BPA, which disrupts the endocrine system by mimicking the female hormone estrogen
What is the result of mankind breathing, eating, drinking and absorbing all of this plastic? Obesity, declining fertility rates and other reproductive problems, cancer and more.
If you’re still looking for a reason to adopt a more natural, healthy lifestyle, this one is as good as any. Avoid these dangerous plastic chemicals in your life as much as possible by:
Best Life Magazine February 20, 2007
Related Articles:
More Dangers of Plastic Water Containers
Is Consuming Fish Really Safe for Pregnant Women and Their Unborn Children?
How Safe is Your Food Container?
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