Plastic in your body?

Did you know that most of us would test positive for PCB's in our bodies? It's hard to believe that these cancer-causing chemicals do not just enter our bodies but stay in there too. This is a huge cause for concern that requires us to be vigilant. Here are a few ways in which plastics enter your body:

Water

Plastics are everywhere, breaking down into the soil or getting burned. They enter the groundwater that comes back to us as drinking water. Microbeads in personal care products and detergents also end up in the water.

Fish

A significant amount of plastic waste gets dumped in the ocean. Add to that those huge fishing nets that have been used for years and discarded in the ocean. All of these break down into micro-plastics that are consumed by fish. Fish, therefore, is a huge health hazard as they contain mercury, plastic, and all kinds of other chemicals that get washed into the sea. Its good to recall that chemicals are hormone disruptors too.

Dairy

In India, it is not uncommon to see cows grazing in garbage dumps. A film titled The Plastic Cow documents how almost every cow in India has plastic in her rumen, which translates as PCBs in the milk.

Animal products

All animals in our food chain are fed rendered slaughterhouse waste. This includes parts of the body that are not consumed by humans, including the stomachs and rumens which already contain plastic, as well as plastic tags that are fixed on animals. Our food chain also includes fish that are bycatch (those not eaten by humans), which also contain plastic. This has a cumulative effect over time; so each year the plastic entering our bodies through food just keeps increasing exponentially.

Plastic containers

Heating food in a microwave oven in plastic containers? You run the risk of the plastic entering your food!

Bottled water

Bottled water exposed to high temperatures may also be contaminated with plastic from the bottle.

Processed foods

Unfortunately, most of the foods we consume have chemicals to prolong their shelf life. Plastic contamination in foods and melamine in milk is becoming the norm.