When people say plastics are everywhere, they mean everywhere — in food containers; in bottles used to feed infants; in raincoats; in eyeglasses and safety helmets; in phones; in clothing; in toys; in bandages; and in cosmetics.
According to scientists, man-made components in plastics — particularly a group of compounds called phthalates and a chemical known as bisphenol A or BPA — can leach harmful chemicals, which are absorbed into the body.
Some even blame plastics for increased rates of cancer, asthma, neurological disorders and infertility.
Breaking open
“The health impacts associated with these chemicals are severe,” says Michael Schade of the Centre for Health Environment and Justice (CHEJ), an advocacy group that wants these components banned from consumer products.
Others, led by the plastic and vinyl industry, say recent reports are just a scare campaign.
“It is foolish to ban something that’s safe and has proven itself for decades,” says Allen Blakey, an official of the Vinyl Institute.
Killer constituent
First, a look at BPA. It’s in dinnerware, bottle tops and dental sealants. It is also in our bodies.
An analysis by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected BPA in urine samples of nearly 93 per cent of 2,517 people.
The presence of BPA in urine could be evidence that the chemicals reside in our body tissue or bloodstream; it could also suggest our bodies know how to expel them. There’s also the question of how these chemicals got there.
“It’s hard to connect the dots between finding it in people’s urine and what is causing the chemicals to be there,” says Lynn Goldman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
It is also unclear whether having BPA in our bodies is dangerous.
In a report titled Toxic Baby Bottles, environmental and public-health groups reviewed studies that showed BPA’s tendency to leach out of plastic (and into foods and liquids) when heated.
The American Chemistry Council, representing many companies in the plastics industry, protested that the study subjected bottles to higher temperatures than are commonly used and for longer times.
But the people behind the baby-bottle report argue that exposure — in and of itself — is evidence of harm.
“Studies on lab animals,” Schade says, “show BPA might have adverse health impacts such as cancer, thyroid disease and ADHD.” But Blakey says findings from animal studies “are often not translatable to humans”.
Under close scrutiny
The US chemical industry is more at odds with overseas practices in its use of the other controversial component of plastics: phthalates.
Within this group of chemicals, two are under particularly close scrutiny — DEHP, found mostly in medical products, and DINP, found mostly in toys — for their potential toxic effects on the reproductive and endocrine systems.
As with BPA, the evidence is mostly limited to animal studies. Goldman says there should be better product labelling before products get to the shelves.
But there are more studies needed on the short-and long-term effects and better testing methods.
PLAY SAFE
Tips to keep danger at bay
Labelling of plastics ingredients is not required in all cases, which makes it hard for consumers to identify products containing phthalates or BPA. The following steps can help lower the risk.
- Do not place hot food or liquids in plastic containers. Use glass, ceramic or stainless-steel containers instead.
- Remove food from plastic wrapping before thawing or reheating in a microwave.
- Buy products in cardboard cartons instead of plastic containers.
- Check recycling codes on the bottom of store packages for clues about plastics components you may want to avoid: Recycling code 3 indicates the product contains a type of phthalate known as DEHA. Recycling code 7 mean the product contains BPA.
- Avoid canned food. The lining of the tins contains BPA.
- Avoid use of polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, both of which contain BPA. Choose polyethylene plastic (also labelled PETE) and containers with recycling code 1, 2, 4 and 5 (see right).
- If you use hard polycarbonate plastics (Nalgene bottles, baby bottles, sippy cups), do not heat them or use them for warm or hot liquids.
- Do not wash polycarbonate plastic containers with harsh detergents.
- Choose personal-care products that do not contain synthetic fragrance.
- Check nail-polish labels. Some contain phthalates.
