Commentary: Plastic ocean and the cancer connection: 7 questions and answers

A plethora of recent scientific reports testifies to challenges the world is facing from an ever-increasing marine plastic pollution. Toxicological concerns have been put forward, but possible links between the now ubiquitous synthetic polymers and human as well as wildlife cancers remain to be inve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnvironmental research Vol. 142; pp. 575 - 578
Main Authors Benno Meyer-Rochow, V., Valérie Gross, J., Steffany, Frank, Zeuss, Dominique, Erren, Thomas C.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.10.2015
Subjects
Animals
Cancer
Environmental Pollution
Food Chain
Human
Humans
Links
Marine
Neoplasms - etiology
Oceans
Oceans and Seas
Plastics
Pollution abatement
Polymers
Residues
Wildlife management
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Summary:A plethora of recent scientific reports testifies to challenges the world is facing from an ever-increasing marine plastic pollution. Toxicological concerns have been put forward, but possible links between the now ubiquitous synthetic polymers and human as well as wildlife cancers remain to be investigated. Hence, this commentary which addresses seven questions. Given numerous uncertainties on the factual impacts of plastics, we should embark on empirical studies into the validity of biologically plausible links between plastic residues and cancers and concomitantly consider ways to reduce plastics in the world within and around us.
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ISSN:0013-9351
1096-0953
DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2015.08.015