What Do We Need to Know About the Environmental
Health Risks of Plastics?

Good old trusted plastics!

We've used them as a part of the family since they were first introduced! We hosted parties where they were the featured guests!

We thought they were the answer to keeping our families safe from shattered glass accidents. We stored our food in it, fed our precious children from it, served our revered family recipes on it. And now we find out that plastics may be harmful to our health? And worse, may have long term affects on the health of our children!

Let's take a closer look at what's going on....
Most of us use them everyday -- items such as water bottles, food containers and baby bottles. Using plastic containers saves us time, money and a lot of broken glass.

But, is this modern convenience toxic to our health?

Scientists have been debating this question for years. The safety of some chemicals used to make certain plastics is what's on trial.

Particularly in question are the products designed to come in contact with food.

bisphenol A or BPA

One primary concern has to do with the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. It makes containers hard and clear and is found in certain baby bottles, water bottles, food storage containers and in the lining of canned foods. Because of the typical uses of these products, it is thought that we could actually be eating particles of plastic.

Potentially Harmful to Our Health.

Studies have shown BPA can mimic the hormone estrogen and may possibly lead to health problems, like:

• prostate cancer

• breast cancer

• early onset of puberty

• and developmental problems in infants.

Some Scientists are Unconcerned About Health Effects

Sam Beattie, the Food and Safety Extension Specialist at Iowa State University says,

"Some may have ability to leach into product. They may leach into product, but the health significance is of question."

Beattie says scientists agree that the chemical will find it's way into your food and infant formula, especially if it's heated in plastic.

But, he says it's not enough to cause any health problems.

He says,

"What we look at is the total daily intake of some of these from our foods and what we find is that they're way below what we would consider a concern."

Beattie says scientists gave high doses of the chemical to animals. He says it's more than any human would ever be exposed to.

"And, animals, or the animals that they use, rats and rodents, can be extremely sensitive to these compounds and the amounts they were feeding these animals was pretty high."

Other Scientists Do Not Agree That Plastics are Safe

But, a recent report from the National Institutes of Health Toxicology Program says the chemical could possibly affect human development and reproduction.

It was enough for the Canadian Government to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles. A Canadian official says, "We have concluded it is better safe than sorry."

Retailers like Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us followed, promising to pull the bottles off their shelves.

But, Beattie, who has two young children, says he isn't worried after studying the report. He says,

But other officials, scientists and parents are still very concerned.

Steps You Can Take to Limit Your Exposure

• Look at the recycling symbol on the bottom of your bottle or bowl. If it has a 7, that means it's probably a polycarbonate bottle and made with BPA. Avoid using #7 plastics.

• Avoid heating your food in plastic containers.

• Pregnant women and babies should eat as little food as possible from cans, since canned food is our biggest daily source of BPA. EWG found that the worst foods tested put pregnant women and formula-fed infants within an unacceptable margin of safety to levels that cause harmful effects in laboratory animals. Typical exposures are within a 10 to 100-fold range of the effects that cause harm in a laboratory setting.

• Beverages appear to contain less BPA residues, while canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels.

• Certain plastics are made with BPA and leaches at low levels into food or liquids. Leaching from plastic baby bottles and food containers appears to happen at a much lower level than found in canned foods and baby formula.

• Infant formula: All U.S. manufacturers use BPA-based lining on the metal portions of the formula containers. Tests of liquid formulas by FDA and EWG show that BPA leaches into the formula, and EWG calculates that some infant's daily exposures can exceed the toxic doses in animal studies. Choose powdered formula which is more diluted with water, or buy liquid formula in plastic containers.

  Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate but this is a reasonable guideline for a category of plastics to avoid.

Polycarbonate plastics are rigid and transparent and used for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage, and water bottles.

Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as 'non-leaching' for minimizing plastic taste or odor, however there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids.

Share Your Thoughts With Us !

• Avoid using #7 plastics whenever possible, especially for preparing and storing food for children.

• Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA.

• Find baby bottles in glass versions, or those made from the safer plastics including polyamine, polypropylene and polyethylene.

• Soft or cloudy-colored plastic does not contain BPA.

• Bottles used to pump and store expressed breast milk by the brand Medela are also labeled BPA-free.

• Look for stainless steel bottles that do not have a plastic liner. Many metal water bottles are lined with a plastic coating that contains BPA.

• While the levels of BPA that leach from hard plastics is generally low, we recommend avoiding use of plastic containers to heat food in microwaves.

• Ceramic, glass, and other microwaveable dishware are good alternatives. Avoid using old and scratched plastic bottles.

• Some plastic wraps are thought to contain BPA. Brands such as Saran™ promise to be BPA free.
  
  

  

  
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