Inquisitr Cites UMaine Research on Toxic Chemicals Found in Plastic Bags
Research conducted at the University of Maine was cited in the Inquisitr article, “Plastic bags threaten human health, according to a recent study.” Researchers at UMaine and Haereticus Environmental Laboratory found that a chemical in plastic bags made to U.S. FDA food-grade specifications had high levels of a toxic chemical called nonylphenol (NP), according to the article. UMaine marine scientist Heather Hamlin and colleagues discovered that one type of plastic bag commonly used to transport fish home from pet stores released NP in concentrations that are highly toxic to fish. The plastic bag from one manufacturer killed 60 percent of the fish within a 48-hour incubation, and fish that survived being held in the bags all died within eight days of being released into an aquarium, the article states.