What do you know about plastics? Do you know what pthalates and BPA are? Do you have any idea how to keep these things out of your body if you want to? Here is the basic, skinny, down & dirty version of what kinds of nasty things are in plastics (and other things) and how to avoid them.
Phthalates-are chemical substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility. Phthalates have been used commercially for decades, and can be found in cosmetics, toys, food packaging, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cleaning and building materials. They’re also used in pacifiers and teethers for babies.
BPA-(Bisphenol A)- It is used in the synthesis of polyesters, is used to make a variety of common products including baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental composite (white) fillings and sealants, lenses, and household electronics. BPA is also used in the manufacture of all CDs and DVDs. BPA based epoxy resins are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans.
Phthalates-are chemical substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility. Phthalates have been used commercially for decades, and can be found in cosmetics, toys, food packaging, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cleaning and building materials. They’re also used in pacifiers and teethers for babies.
BPA-(Bisphenol A)- It is used in the synthesis of polyesters, is used to make a variety of common products including baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental composite (white) fillings and sealants, lenses, and household electronics. BPA is also used in the manufacture of all CDs and DVDs. BPA based epoxy resins are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans.
The other thing you should know about these items is that they are known to be endocrine disrupters. This means that they could potentially mess up your endocrine system which is responsible for your hormones and can cause a range of reproductive problems (reduced fertility, male and female reproductive tract abnormalities, loss of fetus, menstrual problems, changes in hormone levels; early puberty; brain and behavior problems; impaired immune functions; and various cancers).
What is own US government doing to protect us from these harmful agents you ask?
In 2007 the FDA said that BPA was not toxic to humans in the levels that they are now exposed. The information that it used was based on 2 studies done by the plastics industry. The FDA said that it used those studies because they were large and comprehensive. In 2008, the FDA decided to reconsider the safety of BPA after the National Toxicology Program's April 15 report suggested that BPA may alter human development.
President Bush signed a law in 2008 banning three types of phthalates in children’s toys and child care items, save in trace amounts. The law also temporarily prohibited three other chemicals pending further analysis. The six phthalates have been also band in European toys for almost ten years.
Even though some action has been taken, there has been no wide spread action taken to omit these chemicals from the general plastics production. For the time being, you will have to take matters into your own hands. These easy steps are a good place to start.
Store foods in glass whenever you can.
Never heat foods in plastics.
Use stainless steel or aluminum bottles for drinking water on the go.
Plastics labeled with recycling codes 2, & 4 tend to be safer.
Check out these lists for products that have been tested clean of BPA & Pthalates.
Contact your government officials to let them know how you feel about this issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment