Imagine how much plastic exists in the everyday environment. Every year there is an av-erage of 50 billion water bottles consumed (Geracimos, 2007). Plastic also helps with wrapping different materials, preserving certain foods, and is virtually is every material that we use, but is plastics the new enemy to our lives? From drinking cups all the way to washable plastic bowls. Plastic may be causing harm to our bodies. However, more research is needed before plastic can be determined if it should be significantly reduced plastic use.
In September of 2008, baby bottles were found to host a dangerous amount of Bisphenol A and cause birth defects in humans and animals alike. The chemical is linked with both heart disease and diabetes that were both linked in cups, containers, and water bottles. The Food and Drug Administration has reported that BPA is safe in small concentrations, but could also still be a risk with a high amount of plastic products.
As a toxic hormone disruptor, Bisphenol A has been linked to various diseases such as cancer, hyperactivity, and diabetes. Further studies even support that it can cause affects in pu-berty and immune systems. The chemical is found in many products from baby bottles to plastic toys, compact discs, medical devices, and food or drink packaging. BPA has proved to be a dan-gerous chemical to infants causing birth defects. Items used for camping and drinking from water bottles every day can increase the amount of BPA in their system. Some scientist debate that Bisphenol A is actually safe in low concentrations, but other scientists say it should be complete-ly banned (Williams, 2008).
There have been plenty of recent studies of the affects of BPA. The enzymatic chemical is released in...
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...ed Food: Consumer tips to avoid BPA exposure. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from Envi-ronmental Working Group
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4. Geracimos, Ann (2007, May 24.) The Washington Times retrieved January 17, 2014, from Container Recycling Institute
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6. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2008, September 8.) Plastic Bottles: Bisphenol A of ‘Some Concern’ According to the U.S Government Report. Science Dai-ly. Retrieved January 17, 2014
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...and MEA. These chemicals are said to be linked with breast cancer, skin rashes, estrogenic, hormone disruptor, linked to liver and kidney cancer, and irritates the eye.
EPA. (2009, December 29). Retrieved January 15, 2011, from Toxicity and Exposure Assessment for Children's Health: http://www.epa.gov/teach/
Humans encounter harmful chemicals every day, but it is generally unexpected by the public that products that they use every day, such as water bottles and metal cans, contain ingredients that can pose a threat to their health. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound that is widely used during the manufacturing of epoxy resins that provide a protective layer to many food containers, as well as hard, clear plastics (Staples, 1998). BPA leaches from these containers into the food or drink that humans consume on a daily basis (Krishnan, 1993). Several studies have found traces of BPA in over 90% of adult participants, and 99% of school-age children (Calafat, 2008). The chemical is still being used in modern times, despite the research that advises otherwise. Bisphenol A is a dangerous chemical that causes various chronic health problems, such as cancer, as well as sexual abnormalities in both males and females.
More than half of the contributors to this survey know that there are at least 100 million plastic bottle disposed of a day. This is a frightening statistic but it is a hopeful prospect that people know about this because they could be trying to lessen that number by refilling water bottles more and recycling. Two people thought 500 million plastic bottles were disposed of and another two people thought 10 million were disposed.
Everyday millions of Americans come in contact with many different forms of plastics and think nothing about it. Whether its drinking from water bottles purchased at your local super market to eating leftovers from food storage containers in your refrigerator, plastics are everywhere in the world and it seems as if they’re here to stay. But have you heard of the chemical Bisphernol-A? Also known as BPA, this chemical compound is found in just about every plastic that you come in contact with and has created quite the uproar in the media over the last several years in question on its safety for consumer use. Scientists from around the world believe that BPA is the cause of many adverse health effects found in infants and adults, but the scientists aren’t the only ones voicing their opinions on the subject. Many concerned consumers in light of recent studies on the controversial BPA chemical are worried about what they themselves and their families are ingesting and exactly how it is affecting them. This problem amongst consumers has been so great that many companies such as Wal-Mart have demanded the removal of baby and infant products that contain the controversial chemical BPA from their store shelves.
Water bottles containing BPA have also been linked to increased rates of disease in adults. humans with the highest concentrations of BPA in their urine are 2.4 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes than people with low BPA concentrations. Bottles marked as Type 1 plastic are made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. PET bottles contain no BPA or faux-estrogen, but do pose potential health risks. This is primarily due to the bottle 's design, which makes it difficult to
Humans are among the many terrestrial mammals affected by the endocrine-disrupting capabilities of bisphenol A. The majority of human exposure comes from consumption of BPA from food products packaged in polycarbonate plastics (Crain et al., 2007). Laboratory studies done on mice indicate that exposure to high concentrations of BPA can cause pregnancy complications, reproductive organ defects, obesity, early puberty, and cancer (reviewed by Flint et al., 2012).
Since most people are unaware of the toxicity of some household items, it poses a problem for people who are uneducated about the toxicity in everyday household products. Kids are the most vulnerable to chemicals such as BPA and phthalates since they are still in their developmental stages. For instance in the Chapter 2 titled “Rubber Duck Wars”, the authors experiment with phthalates and detail how they are found in children’s toys which could easily land in their mouths causing these chemicals to enter their bodies. This is a very scary issue for most parents out there. The authors quoted Dr. Lynn Goldman, an EPA Specialist who stated that “children are most at risk to the effects of toxic chemicals in our food, water, and air. They consume more on a body weight basis than do adults, they breathe more rapidly and therefore inhale more potentially polluted air; they crawl around poking in dusty corners and stick everything they find in their mouths. But these activities simply explain how kids have greater levels of exposure. The most critical issues facing babies and children are that their developing bodies and brains cannot tolerate chemicals in the same way that adults can” (Smith, Lourie, & Dopp, 2009, p. xii)
Most individuals are exposed through diet via BPA leaching from food containers, food packaging or plastic bottles, while there is still risk from air, dust, and water (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2013). There are many reason why there needs to be stricter guidance and regulations on the release of BPA in household items such as baby bottles, plastic food containers, and canned goods to name a few. Some reasons why these countries are banning BPA are due to its ill effect on people. BPA is considered to be an endocrine-disruptive chemical, which have been linked through laboratory testing to developmental issues, diabetes, cancer and other ailments (Bardelline, 2011). Canada, most of the European Union, China, South Africa and Malaysia have all collectively banned BPA usage in different forms.
The American Chemistry Council has, however, labelled the study as "very limited." It cites lack of causal relationship between BPA levels and heart disease as displaying insufficient grounds to incriminate BPA. Studies suggest that BPA does not linger in the body for more than a few days because, once ingested, it is broken down into glucuronide, a waste product that is easily excreted. This means that although there are some very harsh realities to BPA and chemicals that leach from plastics, there is not any real harm done to the body if used short term. (Biello, D. (2016). Plastic (Not) Fantastic: Food Containers Leach a Potentially Harmful Chemical. [journal]). If you want to reduce your exposure to BPA, there are some steps you can take. Eat less canned food, and more frozen or fresh food. In addition to avoiding BPA, you'll also get more nutrients and less sodium. Both steps gearing toward a healthier diet and therefore a healthier life. For new mothers you should breastfeed your baby or use powdered formula instead of cans. Avoid bottles and plastic containers that are made from polycarbonate (usually marked with a number 7 or the letters PC as seen in fig. 1) and if you want to reduce exposure to phthalates, avoid polyvinyl chloride (marked with a number 3 or PVC as seen in fig.1). (WebMD. (2016). Pots, Pans, & Plastics: Your Guide to Safe Food. [online]). Some food companies
Bottled water can cause some serious health problems. Most people think what can a bottled water do to our health?. In the article, “Your plastic water bottle may actually be making you gain weight” Lizzy Hill explained that many of the plastic used to make plastic bottles may contain compounds called bisphenol A (BPA). A chemical compound has been shown to promote the formation and growth of fat cells. In one study, scientists extracted and isolated cells from the hips, thighs or abdomen of female volunteers. Then, these cells were exposed to BPA for about 2 weeks. The results show that they have a significant increase in fat compared to other cells. (Hill 2016). Consumers chose bottled water for their top diet. But they don’t know bottled
Plastic pollution negatively affects America’s future. The origin of this environmental pollution is caused by the excessive lack of ethics that human beings have. Many times, people throw garbage on the streets, seas, etc. Not knowing that this will be severely altered the environment, and planet earth conditions. Environmental pollution is found in many places such as plastic products, cleaning products, food, animals, personal care products, and the most dangerous in the environment where the oxygen we breathe and share with other living beings (Eriksen 2013).
Researchers have stated that plastic bottles containing water can contain many deadly chemicals. After close examination of the plastic, researchers concluded that some plastics contain chemicals, like phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disrupters, and cancer, may percolate into the water, especially after being stagnant for long periods of time. Likewise, bottled water is not exposed to the rigorous testing tap water endures. Thus, bottled water is more inclined to be contaminated or a source of infection. Tap water is subjected to daily safety testing, bottled water, however, is only tested monthly at the source; twenty-two percent of the water tested contained contaminant levels that exceeded strict health limits. Safety of the people could be secured through banning water bottles.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound used to create polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are found in a wide range of products, but food and drink containers are the most concerning. Most people fear that BPA will have negative effect...