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« Am I my water's keeper? | Main | TSCA? No, thanks. Kid-Safe? Yes, please. »
In search of safe plastics
Following the inspiring example of Enviroblog’s Lisa Frack and her journey into post-plastic world, I started to wonder: what other convenient and ubiquitous uses of plastic in our lives act as a source of exposure to invisible, and yet very potent toxic chemicals. And the answer was not very far away as I opened my email on Friday morning and read the news of latest research on plastic safety - or, to be precise, lack of it.
On November 7, University of Alberta scientists reported in the journal Science that two chemicals leaking from plastic laboratory equipment were so biologically active they interfered with the function of a human brain protein and ruined a drug experiment. This finding has an uncanny resemblance to one of the early discoveries of Bisphenol A toxicity where BPA leaching from polycarbonate plastics stimulated the growth of breast cancer cells. The two substances found to leach from polypropylene labware - an antimicrobial chemical known as quaternary ammonium and a plastic softening agent called oleamide - now join the ranks of numerous other plastic polymer components that migrate into anything stored in these plastic containers.
According to the Toronto Globe and Mail, "The inadvertent discovery could have wide-ranging consequences because the chemicals causing the experiment to go awry were leaching from polypropylene, one of the most commonly used plastics in the world... The findings were so alarming to the researchers, from the university's faculty of medicine, that they issued a warning yesterday in the journal Science, alerting others scientists to the possibility that contaminants from plastic ware in their laboratories could put experiments at risk."
Where can we find polypropylene plastics in our homes? These plastics are marked by recycling code 5. Just now, running to check my refrigerator, I found a pack of cream cheese, a container of spreadable butter, and a yogurt tub, all packaged in number 5 plastic. Polypropylene is also used for manufacturing thermal coffee mugs, bottle tops, kitchen appliances, cutting boards, rugs, mats, bags and even baby bottles.
The most worrisome part of the story is that we don't know what chemicals may lurk in our tupperware, just as the University of Alberta researchers did not know what additives were present in their labware. This type of information is kept secret from the final users, guarded by the plastics manufacturers as proprietary information. The FDA, whose mandate is to ensure the health of the consumers, allows such secrecy, accepting the views of the industry rather than promoting honest public disclosure. So, is my thermal mug safe? I don't know, and that is making me very uncomfortable - and angry.
As EWG scientist Rebecca Sutton wrote EPA recently, quaternary ammonium compounds, common antibacterial agents, are reproductive and genetic toxicants linked to occupational asthma and immune sensitization. Released into wastewater, they persist in the environment and may lead to antimicrobial resistance.
Oleamide, routinely used to increase the malleability of plastics such as food wraps and adhesive coatings, can act as central nervous system depressant. Is this a kind of chemical I want in my morning coffee? I think not.
We need full disclosure of the chemicals plastic packaging leaches into our food. Manufacturers have no right to risk our health and the success of our biomedical research by hiding behind the claim of "proprietary information.”
Meanwhile, I am going to stick with my ceramic coffee mug.
Photo by davidking
Good article, but I am still looking for a detailed breakdown of the types of plastic (when they are identified by those numbers inside the recycling symbol) and what dangers they may pose. Is there such an article here on the EWG website?
My first concern is this: Because I live in California, where we are awaiting our overdue BIG earthquake, I store enough water to last my wife and me at least a week. I buy this water in plastic jugs, and, at the end of 6 months, I replace the water with new jugs of water. What I want to find out is if it is safe to drink this water when it's time to rotate it out for freshness, or if it should just dump it.
Does anyone else store water for emergencies? How do you do it?
Thanks,
Nicholas
This certainly is a good question, and it helps us to balance common-sense preparedness for emergencies - and overall precautionary approach for how we plan our lifestyle. I completely agree with you that bottled water provides a very safe back up for potential risks of natural disasters - and the utility of having drinking water at hand would outweigh most other considerations. But - as far as ordinary course of life is concerned - we still need to have complete transparency on the part of manufacturers about additives present in various types of plastics. This information is usually hidden away as "proprietary" so that neither the general public nor health professionals have access to these data. In order to protect public health, we need to have this information readily available!
Thanks!