Soft plastic fishing lures may be leaching into waterways: Sask. study
CTV
If you use soft plastic fishing lures when spending a day on the water, you might want to change it up.
If you use soft plastic fishing lures when spending a day on the water, you might want to change it up.
A study published this summer in the journal Science of the Total Environment suggests soft plastic lures are leaching water-soluble plastic additives.
“The research team, we are all quite avid anglers,” said Markus Brinkmann, associate professor in the school of Environment and Sustainability, and director of the Toxicology Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.
“When you use these kinds of materials in the environment, every now and then you snap one off. Every now and then, every other trip or so, you lose a lure. And, then the big question to us was, what happens with that material?”
The team selected 16 common soft plastic lures and performed chemical and bio-analytical tests for leaching of phthalates and hormone-mimicking chemicals.
“There are things in there that you would expect in plastics such as plasticizers that keep them soft and wiggly,” said Brinkmann. “But also silicone oils, these kinds of things that help them stay separated in the bag when you buy them.”
Brinkmann says 10 out of 16 lures leached phthalates, and bio-analytical testing showed the presence of xenoestrogens in one lure. Xenoestrogens are synthetic chemicals that mimic natural estrogen and can potentially bind to receptors in the body.
Two workers at a state-run hospital in West Virginia have been charged in connection with the death of a 61-year-old non-verbal man who investigators said was left in a scalding hot bath for nearly an hour.
Budget-conscious buyers looking for luxury alternatives have flocked to Walmart's Birkin bag look-alike, nicknamed the 'Wirkin.'
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday it has opened a probe into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles in the United States over reports of crashes involving a feature that allows users to move their cars remotely.
California firefighters battled wind-whipped wildfires that tore across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained early Wednesday.
Lake Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, Kenya is becoming increasingly unnavigable. Water hyacinth, the world's most widespread invasive species, is blanketing the lake, choking its fish and leaving people stranded.
Drinking coffee has repeatedly been linked with better heart health and prolonged life. But the benefits of coffee consumption could depend on when you drink it, new research has found.
On one of the most challenging days of Hannah White’s life, she found peace in the generosity and determination of several Delta Air Lines employees who went to great lengths to ensure that she was able to spend another precious 24 hours with her mom.
A weekend winter storm that brought much of Canada under severe weather alerts continues to bring chilly conditions to Canadians across the country.
A bluefin tuna about the size of a motorcycle has been sold for US$1.3 million (207 million yen) at Japan’s most prestigious fish market, setting the second highest price on record during its new year auction.
Indonesia's new government started an ambitious project on Monday to fight malnutrition by feeding nearly 90 million children and pregnant women that is expected to cost US$28 billion through 2029, although critics question whether the program is affordable.
The U.K. will introduce its ETA system on Jan. 8. ETA, which stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation, is a new digital registration scheme for travelers who don’t need a visa to enter the U.K.