Do you eat plastic? I mean fish?

Dorfmeister - that was quite the kick-in-the-nuts-informative video you posted.
Real-World-i-ness aside, of course.

This definitely makes me happy i don't eat anything from the see but to be honest we shouldn't be eating as much from the see as we are.

Wanna hear something that rhymes?

4free, I agree!

With all the articles along this strain of if-we-eat-we're-screwed-and-if-we-drink-we're-screwed-and-if-we-use-cars-we're-screwed-and-if-we-use-technology-we're-screwed, it's a wonder we're not all dead already

I don't eat fish, but plastic is a VERY broad term. You're probably referring to some synthetic polymer, but technically "american cheese" is closer in chemical structure to a plastic than an actual cheese.

I like that idea.

just an idea to fix this...

lets start filtering the ocean, and selling snowglobes with the plastic inside, saying something about how this purchase helped clean the waters.

word? word.

Damn you ATKINS diet!

If I eat enough, will my lifelong dream to be Barbie finally come true?! Yay!

Oy.

Seriously, I just eat whatever is on my plate. I'm aware that there are things that would make me sick just thinking about it but, of course, I put off those thoughts because I'm usually hungry and just want to eat. But I'm turning out okay. If ever I develop some kind of illness from blindly eating food without knowing what's in them, Current will be first to know (*fingers crossed* of course). Rest assure all of this information you guys are giving me is already stored in my brain for future use.

My first thought isn't of us, but the animals. I know, mushy, but it's true. I really couldn't care less about the disruption of our hormones, it is actually taking animals' lives. If it were people dying from this, I think it would be a bigger issue to most.

Yeah you’re right. I started to scream at my monitor until you clarified about PCB’s. Those things are everywhere and in everyone, neglecting to eat fish is not going to save you. If you really wanted to cut down on your intake I would suggest staying away from certain species. Deep water or larger fish-which are the most popular in restaurants- predominately eat other fish and are found exactly where all this garbage is located. Mahi Mahi (or Dolphin) tarpon, cobia, tuna and salmon would be a good example.. If you do decide to eat fish I would stick to the smaller species that are bottom feeders who eat crustaceans. Pompano, sheepshead, and red drum(although red drum do grow to be large) are probably you best bet.

Then again you can always buy organic fish which are farmed. They should have a healthier diet then your average fish. Crustaceans should be better off too since most of them are omnivores.

I didn't really think about the fish belly being discarded. But even then, you don't have to break down plastic to dislodge harmful chemical components. PCBs, which mimic estrogen and prevent the real hormone from binding, can leach into water carried in a disposable plastic bottle given enough time or exposure to sunlight or refilling of the bottle. I imagine that digestion could break some of those molecules off. Since the body doesn't know what to do with PCBs, chemicals like that are stored in fatty tissues. Then when we eat the fish those same chemicals are stored in our fatty tissues.

Although, the levels of PCBs in our waterways from industrial pollution probably dwarf the bits of plastic eaten by fish...

Dorfmeister, thanks for that link.
That video "Garbage Island" is incredible.

Yeah I live in Florida which is like the best place in the world(in my opinion) to fish. I’ve been fishing and crabbing since I was a kid and I can tell you with absolute certainty that no one eats fish bellies. If plastic cannot be broken down by digestion then its probably not going to be absorbed by the body. So whenever a fisherman guts a fish he probably discards whatever plastic there is back into the ocean/lake/brackish river.

It still get the point though. Pollution sucks.

Julie - it is bad for you. Plastics often contain chemicals that can disrupt your endocrine (hormone signalling) system. If you're interested, "Our Stolen Future" is a great book to check out. The authors have created a website, www.ourstolenfuture.org, that has more recent updates on the subject.

Just another way people pollute, however I'm now glad I don't usually eat fish.

Makes me glad I have never eaten anything that lives in water....

Everything we throw into the oceans we end up consuming - if you eat seafood. All the chemicals such as mercury just come straight back to us.

But is it bad for you? Or does it just pass out the other side?