title: Commentary: Plastic ocean and the cancer connection: 7 questions and answers.
abstract: 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.
authors: Research Institute of Luminous Organisms, Hachijojima, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: meyrow@gmail.com.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Benno Meyer-Rochow
authors: Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine and Prevention Research, UNIKLINIK KÖLN, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Valérie Gross
authors: Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Steffany
authors: Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine and Prevention Research, UNIKLINIK KÖLN, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors: Dominique
authors: D
authors: Zeuss
authors: Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine and Prevention Research, UNIKLINIK KÖLN, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors: Thomas C
authors: TC
authors: Erren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D020387:Food Chain; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010969:Plastics
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics