Group 2’s focus is on the effect that plastic pollution can indirectly have on humans. It is an intriguing topic and is definitely concerning. The article talks about plastic’s tendency to “sorb” or take up “persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances,” which can be found in the bodies of water we are polluting. The article then discusses how these toxic-sorbed plastics find their ways into marine animals when they eat. As seen in Ana Luiza’s video, even the smallest of organisms are documented as having consumed microplastics. As we go up the food chain, the plastics follow, all the way up to commonly eaten seafood like tuna and swordfish and ultimately making it’s way to us. I think this article is a must-read for anyone even remotely concerned about their own health and of course the plastics issue at large.
This food chain issue is an interesting piece to the puzzle that is plastic pollution. A lot of what was talked about in the article is not yet proven by scientific research, which is why some people are not convinced. Funding for research on this topic is harder to get because of greater concern in other things (overfishing, acidification) and although we have a lot more to learn, it is comforting to know that the EPA and other government agencies are starting to look into it. By 2016, the EPA plans to launch a full-scale “inquiry” into effects on human health in relation to chemical loading effects on plastic litter. I’d urge everyone to give this article a read because it gives us a good understanding of what we know, what we can infer, and what we still have to learn about plastic’s harmful link in our food chain.
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