Humans Affected by Bioaccumulate Toxins

The toxins in our oceans are inevitably affecting marine life externally as well as internally. All different sizes and variations of plastic are wrapping around body parts preventing proper development. Plastic rings are clinging to bird beaks causing them to starve to death. Plastic, a near indestructible hazard, is filling the bellies of the oceans creatures. If animals continue to ingest pieces of plastic mistaken for food, they will eventually fill up and mistake that feeling for fullness, leading to starvation. The plastic in their stomach will leak toxins into the animals’ blood stream, posing additional threats to the animal. The unpleasantness that animal is personally experiencing does not only affect them, it can also further damage the rest of marine life, as well as humans.


There is an invisible pollution called PCB (PolyChlorinated Biphenyls) in plastics. Even though it was banned in the U.S. in 1979, there are still plastics in the ocean containing it. These chemicals are showing up in the tissues of marine life and affecting such animals as whales and dolphins, especially because of their extended life span. They bioaccumulate toxins, meaning the toxins build up, usually in its blubber or fat layer. Marine mammals are at the top of the food chain so eventually all the toxins ascend up to them. For example, “if a killer whale eats a seal which had eaten a large fish which in turn eats a small fish, the killer whale will absorb all toxins present in the small fish, large fish, and the seal. The toxins will continue to grow in the whales’ body for a long time," considering they may live up to 60 years old.


Although levels of PCB are not fully understood, it has been found that high levels can cause problems in the brain and central nervous system. It can also disrupt the endocrine system, causing masculine traits. Although marine life solely survives off of other marine life and would naturally ingest more than any human ever would, it’s not to say that humans cannot be affected by these toxins. Over the span of 60 years, an adult killer whale can weigh between 8,000-12,000 pounds and still be affected by toxins. A human life span is about 70 years old, and the average human weight give or take is around 200 pounds. Considering the size difference of a whale to a human, it’s recognizable that a person who consumes large quantities of sea life can be affected by the bioaccumulate toxins as well.


Studies have shown that PCB in humans increases rates of melanomas and all types of cancer. Children are being born with brain damage or autism because PCB is passed via the mother’s breast milk. Babies can also have decreased birth weight and head size and have lower performances on testing skills. Some children of women who ate contaminated fish were found to have performance impairments on a standardized behavioral assessment test. Women were found to have shortened menstrual cycles, and men to have reduced sperm counts. There is also the risk of altered sex organs, testosterone, and estrogen. PCB is also tied to an increased prevalence of ear infections, chickenpox and lower immune system function; thus there is greater susceptibility to disease, premature puberty, and changed sex ratios in children.


The ocean takes up 70 % of the planet’s surface and human life is dependent upon this source. “The largest source of protein in the world is fish, and more fish are harvested throughout the world than cattle, sheep, poultry, or eggs.” The most common route of exposure to PCBs is from eating contaminated fish. The question is what can be done. Every fish consumed cannot be tested and people will not be aware when they are taking in toxins. We must not focus on the past but instead, look to an environmentally safe future. We must do our best to eliminate any further contamination into our oceans and be more resourceful in regards to consumer products. The cycle has come full circle. Humans are the leading cause for this severe contamination and marine endangerment and now as a result, humans are suffering as well.


http://www.clearwater.org/news/pcbhealth.html


http://www.gloucestertimes.com/archivesearch/local_story_202165820.html

http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765(2004)112%3A8%253CA455%3ACTOAHH%253E2.0.CO%3B2-&cookieSet=1