May 8 - Study Finds That Your Favorite Sushi Roll Could Be Contaminated By Plastic

A new  study confirms that plastic is indeed contaminating our food chain, reporting that three popular fish species for human consumption have been found with pieces of plastic in their stomachs.

More than 18% of the bluefin, albacore, and swordfish studied in the Mediterranean Sea had plastic in their stomach contents, either from direct consumption or through smaller fish they had consumed. 

These plastics, most of which are from land based litter, persist in the water and attract surrounding toxins, such as phthalates, BPA, flame retardants, and other chemicals. Other studies have shown that when ingested these chemicals cause physical and chemical harm to fish, and the toxins can actually be absorbed into fish tissue. 

We are what we eat, and it's possible that we are becoming more toxic thanks to plastic. But we can continue to fight back against this dangerous trend by reducing the amount of single-use plastic unnecessarily entering our environment.

Did you know that you could be brushing your teeth or washing your face and hair with plastic? CAW is a sponsor of AB 888, which would ban plastic microbeads from our personal care products. Tell your Assembly Member to support this important bill here.

You can also support our efforts to protectthe nation's first statewide plastic bag ban. Learn more on the California vs. Big Plastic website.

(photo credit: Surfrider)