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Heating plastics in the microwave and washing containers in detergent
causes plastic to break down faster and thus speeds up the leaching process
Seattle, Wash., USA--(Jobwerx)--APRIL 21, 2005-- In the past several years, we've all been hearing that it's not safe to toss plastic containers in the microwave, because heating these items can cause chemicals in the plastic to leach out. We haven't been told exactly what danger those chemicals pose, and that's because scientists aren't quite sure yet. Several new studies and a concerted effort by the Environmental Protection Agency are starting to provide some answers regarding endocrine disrupters. Here's what they know for sure: Virtually all plastics leach trace amounts of chemicals. Heating - and washing in detergent - causes plastic to break down faster and thus speeds up the leaching process. They also know that these chemical compounds, which mimic hormones, aren't carcinogenic but have been proven to harm the reproductive systems of various fish and wildlife and to cause chromosomal damage in rodents. What nobody knows for sure is whether even the tiny amounts of these chemicals - phthalates (pronounced "thalates") and bisphenol- A (BPA) - that leach out of plastic items, some cosmetics, and the lining of almost every can of food have similar effects on humans. "We have widespread exposure to bisphenol-A. It's in practically everything," said Theo Colborn, a former senior scientist at the World Wildlife Fund who wrote a cautionary book on these chemicals, otherwise known as endocrine disrupters. Colborn's contention is true of phthalates as well. In 1999, government researchers found phthalates in the blood or urine of every one of 1,000 adults tested. In the summer of 2004, scientists from the Silent Spring Institute of Newton, Mass., and Harvard University's School of Public Health found phthalates in the dust and air of every one of the 120 houses they tested. Once they enter a body, most endocrine disrupters stay put, mostly in fatty tissues. But researchers don't know how much has to build up to cause damage. In 2002, the World Health Organization reported that analysis of available human data on endocrine disrupters "has so far failed to provide firm evidence of direct causal associations between low-level exposure and adverse health outcomes." It's been easier to prove in animals. The latest of many reports, released in 2004 by the Population Council, found that one of the most commonly used endocrine disrupters wreaked havoc on young male rats' reproductive systems after consistent low-level exposure. These findings have convinced scientists such as Colborn that endocrine disrupters may be one of many factors to blame for the increasing human incidence of reproductive abnormalities such as low sperm count and early-onset puberty. Such suspicions have led to the warnings we've heard about heating food in plastic. The European Union and several Asian countries have gone a step further and banned the use of phthalates in cosmetics, teethers, toys, and pacifiers. Senior Technical Adviser Gary Timm of the Environmental Protection Agency's Endocrine Disruptors Research Program said these actions were based on fear rather than science. "We do believe these [harmful] effects can be caused in humans,"
Timm said, "but we've been toying with how to make that connection using
epidemiological studies, be cause we can't experiment on humans. We're
hoping some studies we've recently designed will give us some answers."
The EPA program, which began in 1996, also is setting up a system requiring manufacturers to test their products for the chemicals, and is "probing the science" of how endocrine disrupters actually work, Timm said. The American Plastics Council and the American Chemical Council point to several independent studies showing that levels of BPA leaching from the lining of food and beverage cans and from rigid plastics such as baby bottles and microwave containers are many times lower than the levels demonstrated to be safe. Ditto for the levels of phthalates babies are exposed to from chewing on pliable plastic toys, they say. In response to a 1998 Consumer Product Safety Commission request, however, retailers including Kmart, Sears, Target, Toys "R" Us, and Wal-Mart stopped selling heavily mouthed baby products made with phthalates, and several major toy makers stopped using them. This precautionary measure was followed up by research, which concluded in September 2002 that the most common phthalate in soft plastic toys is "not likely to present a health hazard to children" who chew on them. In February of 2004, the safety commission denied a petition from the National Environmental Trust calling for a ban on PVC plastic products for children under 5. Until the EPA starts providing definitive answers - hopefully in the very near future- you can play it safe by following these guidelines, from the WWF and other sources, when possible: * Use glass or ceramic containers instead of plastic wrap for storage, especially of fatty foods such as cheese, meat, and butter. * Alternatively, choose a plastic wrap made without phthalates, such as Glad or Saran. * Microwave food in ceramic or glass instead of plastic. (Containers labeled "microwave safe" are OK for a few uses but will break down over time.) Remove plastic packaging before cooking; replace with parchment or waxed paper. * Try to prevent children from chewing on plastics by giving them natural fiber toys. * Choose goods with minimal plastic packaging. * Replace plastic baby bottles often. "When [these] bottles start to turn cloudy, they are leaching," cautions Dr. Patricia A. Hunt, author of a Case Western Reserve University study on BPA. * Don't store canned food or beverages in the can. * Wash new clothes. Some fabric finishes contain endocrine disrupters, Colborn said. * Check for phthalates on the ingredient list of fragrances, hair spray, nail polish, shampoo, and air fresheners. Expensive brands of cosmetics are more likely to have them. * * * (SIDEBAR) * Risk of reusing water bottles Is it safe to reuse disposable water bottles? Most are made of polyethylene terephthalate, one of the compounds under study as a possible endocrine disrupter. Some researchers fear that the phthalates may leach out as the plastic begins to break down over time and suggest that consumers recycle them rather than refill them. A more direct danger in reusing these bottles comes not from the plastic but from the bacteria introduced by the drinker. A Canadian study revealed bacterial contamination in about a third of the reused water bottles tested by University of Calgary scientists. If you must reuse a disposable water bottle, discourage germ growth
by rinsing it and allowing it to dry completely before refilling. If you
wash it too vigorously or in very hot water, you risk accelerating the
breakdown of the plastic. Click here to view more current news articles Haven't found what you're looking for? Try 'Search' powered by
Resource: The Bergen County Record, New Jersey USA
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