The body's first line of defence
against harmful chemicals is being hampered by toxins such as DDT, PCBs and
flame retardants found in fish, study finds
Friday 15 April 2016
Poisonous chemicals dumped in the
sea are coming back to haunt us in the fish we eat, interfering with a
“critical defence system” of the body, according to new research.
The scientists warned that
newborn babies are particularly at risk as they are exposed to high
concentrations of the pollutants in breast milk and their defence mechanism is
not yet fully developed.
The pollutants were found to
hamper a tiny pump in the cells of the body, which acts as a ‘bouncer’ to kick
out potentially harmful toxins.
This is normally so effective
that the pump is a major problem for pharmaceutical companies as it often
expels drugs too quickly, particularly those designed to attack cancer. It also
protects our reproductive organs and plays a key role as an enforcer of the
blood-brain barrier.
Samples of the pollutants –
including pesticides such as the banned DDT, flame retardants used in
upholstery foam and coolants like PCBs – were taken from muscle tissue of eight
yellowfin tuna by scientists at the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography
in San Diego.
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