Microplastics in Cancún Seafood: Health Alert

Cancún, Mexico — More than 800 marine species are being affected by ocean pollution, predominantly through microplastics that interfere with the food chain. These chemicals are ending up on dinner plates in the form of clams, mussels, fish, and shrimp, potentially causing damage to human health.

In Cancún, 60 percent of the waste collected from the coasts is single-use plastic. This debris generates small particles that enter the sea, impacting not only fish but also birds and turtles.

According to Aracely Ramirez, a representative of the environmental organization Ocean Conservancy, microplastics have already reached our plates, appearing not only in seafood but also in salt and drinking water.

“Sadly, we are already finding microplastics in water, in salt, and in more recent research, they are even in the placentas of expectant mothers of children who are about to be born. They are also reaching our brains because nano plastics are even smaller particles that are filtering through. This means we are consuming plastic directly,” stated the activist.

She explained that while marine species receive the most damage, the problem of plastic pollution affects the entire environment and is, in fact, entirely preventable.

Through cleanup efforts, it has been recorded that materials like PET are the most collected, accounting for 60 percent of the waste, while glass and cigarette butts represent the other 40 percent.

According to Ramirez, people need to take action to prevent this situation from continuing, especially in the face of rising demand for plastic products, which is estimated to reach one billion tons by 2050.

Microplastics are small particles and fibers of plastic, though there are no established standards to determine their maximum size. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies them as particles smaller than five millimeters.