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« Cheatsheet: Phthalates | Main | EnviroLinks: Firm but polite »

May 6, 2008

Mixed Greens 009: Plastic, plastic everywhere

Plastics are in the news, and you want answers! This week we field some of your questions relating to bisphenol A and other plasticky problems.

Mixed Greens is EWG's environmental health podcast. You can subscribe in iTunes or in a reader, or listen right here in your browser. Check out previous episodes for more Mixed Greens goodness!

Miss something? Check out the transcript after the jump.

Hello, and welcome to Mixed Greens, your Environmental Health Update from EWG. I'm your host Amanda, and today is Tuesday, May 6th, 2008.

As I'm sure you're all aware, bisphenol A has been in the news a lot this past week -- and that means we've gotten tons of questions about plastic. You want to know which kinds of plastic to look out for and which are safe, and exactly how much you're supposed to panic. We're going to do things a little differently today by tackling some of those questions. You'll be able to find a transcript of today's show, with some relevant links, at enviroblog.org/mixedgreens.

Danielle wants to know whether BPA is known to leach into dry goods, such as flour and sugar. It's possible that BPA could leach into dry-food storage containers, especially if those containers reach high temperatures. But focus on higher-level exposures first, by eliminating canned food and polycarbonate containers for wet food. After that, you may want to consider switching to BPA-free storage containers.

Crystal writes, "I have seen plastic sippy cups that say they are BPA Free, they are hard plastic and have a 7 on the bottom. Are they safe or not?" They may be BPA-free. Recycling number 7 is a catch-all -- it's the label that gets put on any plastic that doesn't fit into the other categories. Although the number 7, paired with hard, clear plastic, often means a product is polycarbonate, companies are now releasing products that fit all those criteria -- and are BPA-free. A great resource in the wilderness of BPA-free baby products is the Z Recommends text messaging service. Just text zrecs and a company name (Born Free, for example) to 69866, and you'll get a message with info about that company's products.

Many of you asked about bioplastic -- that's the biodegradable plastic that's made of plants like corn and potato. It also falls into that "other" category and is marked with a number 7. I haven't read any reports about what bio-based plastics DO contain (other than, y'know, plants), but I can tell you they don't contain bisphenol A.

Neither do melamine cups, bowls and plates, which were another common subject in your comments. They may be BPA-free, but it's still a good idea to be careful with them; don't microwave them, and only put them in the top rack of the dishwasher. In fact, that's good advice for all plastics.

Annie was worried about the effect of bisphenol a from her recent dental work, especially because she's breastfeeding. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should definitely avoid having fillings put in if possible. BPA will leach primarily while the dental sealant is being applied, though, and BPA passes quickly through the body. Exposure to BPA over time is a much greater risk than this one-time exposure, and Annie's already ahead of the game by breastfeeding.

Finally, Keri wanted the low-down on her #2 food storage containers. Keri, the usual rules still apply -- don't heat them up and always get rid of damaged plastic -- but #2 HDPE plastic is considered food-safe, and there's no BPA risk.

We just started up a new Cheatsheet series at Enviroblog -- so far we've covered BPA, PFCs and Phthalates. I could go on picking out toxic chemicals to write about forever, but I'd like to cover the stuff that's most useful to you. Are you preoccupied by perchlorate? Puzzled by PBDEs? Weigh in on what's weighing on your mind by emailing me at amanda@enviroblog.org.

And, for you pet-loving listeners, this is National Pet Week! Eddie is commemorating the event with a series of posts and a Blog Carnival of Green Pets, so check out his blog at petsfortheenvironment.org for great ways to celebrate.

That's all for now. You can get more environmental health news and tips at enviroblog.org, or send an email with your questions or comments to amanda@enviroblog.org. Thanks for listening to Mixed Greens.

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