Subscribe to the RSS feed.Plastics and Human Health: Concerned?
By: CHP | Posted on: October 21st, 2008 | 
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Categories: Air and Water Quality • Policies and Laws • Polls • Public Health
The recent Oregon Public Health Association conference featured an excellent (and unfortunately very sobering) presentation about plastics and human health given by a local member of the Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. The presentation made clear that plastics should be a concern for all of us. How much of a concern, well, that’s up to us.
Most plastics are made from petroleum (non-renewable and mostly imported). Cooking with plastic can be particularly toxic, both in terms of eating food exposed to it, and also from the pollution that can seep into the air and water.
In terms of plastics made with polyvinyl chloride additives called phthalates (pronounced tha-lates), the United States still permits the import of these toxic products, while the EU banned them nearly ten years ago. California has already banned phthalates, and the Oregon Environmental Council is currently planning a push to ban them in Oregon this year.
Phthalates have been linked to reproductive birth defects in lab animals, genital malformations in boys under age 3 and, through exposure to pregnant mothers, to unborn boys.
Phthalates are commonly found in products where plastics are made to be soft and durable — shower curtains, shampoo bottles, raincoats, medical tubing, and car seats.
If your organization would like to hear a presentation about the health risks associated with plastics, contact Maye Thompson of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility at 503-274-2720.
How concerned about you about toxicity in every day plastics? Please consider taking our poll below so we can learn about your attitude toward this issue.
Or just make a comment.
For more information:
Smart Plastics Guide: Healthier Food Uses of Plastics (pdf file)
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (Includes Powerpoint Presentation on plastics and health)
Environmental Working Group: Using use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment
“Addicted to Plastic” documentary
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Personally, when my son was born in January, I and many other new moms, refused to buy any plastic baby bottles. My husband heard a report about the phthalates potentially leaking into milk once the plastic was heated. Needless to say, we still use only glass bottles.
With the use of pesticides and artificial growth hormones in food, cell phones, and plastics containing potentially harmful phthalates, it is not much of a surprise that parents are more fearful than ever.