Fitness Gear: How Dangerous Is Plastic?- Fitness Training For Life

UltimateFitnessGear Posting Page

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

By Steve Edwards

This month, Canadian officials announced that they are going to declare a chemical as toxic. This chemical is widely used in plastics for baby bottles and food and beverage containers, and as a lining for food cans. This is the latest scare of what's becoming a long list of concerns surrounding plastic. Let's take a look at plastic, its history, usage, and concerns, and what we can do to best protect ourselves from something practically unavoidable in our everyday lives.

Why plastic?
In the iconic 60s film, The Graduate, the protagonist, Benjamin, is being tutored on how to best make his fortune. One of his would-be mentors offers him one simple word of advice, "plastics."

The definition of plastic comes from Greek and Latin roots and means, essentially, something capable of being molded. Modern plastic was invented in 1855, when Alexander Parks mixed pyroxylin, a partially nitrated form of cellulose (cellulose is the major component of plant cell walls), with alcohol and camphor. This produced a hard but flexible transparent material, which he called "Parkesine." The first plastic based on a synthetic polymer was made from phenol and formaldehyde, with the first viable and cheap synthesis methods invented by Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1909. This product, known as Bakelite, paved the way for the oil-derived stuff we now see almost everywhere. Subsequently, poly (vinyl chloride), polystyrene, polyethylene (polyethene), polypropylene (polypropene), polyamides (nylons), polyesters, acrylics, silicones, and polyurethanes are amongst the many varieties of plastics we come into contact with daily.

Plastics were big in the 60s, but the advice young Benjamin received was sound, if making a fortune was his goal. Over the next few decades, plastic took the place of many more natural materials and wove its way into almost every aspect of our lives. Now we live under it, sleep on it, drive it, wear it, sit on it, eat off of it, drink out of it, breathe through it, etc., etc. Plus, it seems as though anything that isn't plastic these days comes wrapped in it. It's so prevalent that the chances that you are right now touching a form of plastic are approximately 100 percent.

Is plastic safe?
Since the word plastic covers many substances, it's hard to answer that question. Petrochemical plastic has dangers associated with it from the get-go, since the waste from manufacturing is toxic and needs to be dealt with carefully. Additionally, this type of plastic doesn't biodegrade, at least not in a time frame that is meaningful to human existence.

On all fronts, plastic creates a challenge. Manufacturing and recycling plastic are both potentially hazardous because many skin and respiratory problems can result from exposure and/or inhalation of fumes released during the process. Also, burning isn't a good option because it releases a host of poisonous chemicals into the air, including dioxin, a highly toxic substance. Because it doesn't undergo chemical decomposition, it can't be safely disposed of, either. In fact, there is a growing flotilla of plastic in the Pacific Ocean, currently the size of Texas, that is wreaking havoc on an already stressed environment.

From the above information alone, it would seem prudent to search for alternatives to plastic. But our point is to discuss more imminent potential health problems, such as whether or not we're going to get cancer from eating off of it, or if we should let our infants suckle it.

Essentially, plastic in one kind or another has always been a moving target. Research will suggest a problem and manufacturers will alter the targeted plastic to avoid the crosshairs. Plastic proponents will cite a reasonably long track record of safety to defend their position. Detractors say that we're masking the problems it's creating and blaming these problems on other things. The bottom line is that it's hard to make any definitive conclusions.

The latest news
This latest scare is over a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. It shows up as symbol #7 on the bottom of various hard plastic items, including water bottles and baby bottles. A report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program endorsed a scientific panel's finding that there was "some concern" about neural and behavioral changes in humans who consume BPA.

Just how strong a statement is "some concern"? "If the government issues a finding of toxic, no parent in their right mind will be using products made with this chemical," said Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defense, a Canadian group that has been campaigning against BPA, to the New York Times. "We will be arguing strongly for a ban on the use of this chemical in food and beverage containers."

Others weren't so quick to jump on the bandwagon. "In my experience working with bisphenol A, it's a relatively benign chemical," said Professor Warren G. Foster, director of the Centre for Reproductive Care and Reproductive Biology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, to the Times. "There's room here for a lot more research."

The level of alarm here is hard to gauge. Not long ago, we were warned about the dangers of cheaper, nonreusable plastic beverage containers. This was briefly after we'd been warned about Styrofoam. And neither of these controversies has gone away; they've just been redirected. Styrofoam now has "safer" formulations and cheap plastic beverage containers now come with a "one time use" distinction.

However we decide to treat the latest news, we should realize that all plastic is under suspicion. There has been no definitive evidence either way on any of it. And while common sense tells us that we should consider other options, not all of those have been proven to be 100 percent safe, either. Remember what we now know about lead pipes?

Our lucky 7: the best-guess scenarios for safety
Since it's all under scrutiny, there is no best piece of advice to give out. But based on the latest science, along with some anecdotal lore and a dose of common sense, here are our recommendations for avoiding potential risks.

Avoid plastic when possible. Drink and eat off of glass or ceramic material, especially food and beverages that are hot. While debated, heat seems to break down plastic, allowing more of the nasty stuff to get into our consumables.

Don't reuse plastic water and/or soda bottles. These container bottoms have a #1 stamped on the recycling symbol. They don't contain BPA but break down easily when washed, especially at high temperatures like those in the dishwasher.

Hand wash all plastic containers. Portable beverage carriers, like bike bottles, should not be put in the dishwasher because doing so can degrade the plastic. This can be tricky because the small openings require thorough cleaning to get rid of bacteria buildup. While bleach can effectively kill this bacteria buildup, it has other health issues associated with it. It's best to make sure to wash these bottles immediately after using them.

Don't put plastic in the microwave. Even "microwave safe" plastics may leach hazardous materials. Don't use plastic wraps, either. Phthalates, the last targeted elements in plastic wrap, were outlawed in 2006; but companies don't list what's in plastic wrap, so you're taking a risk by using it. Using glass containers with a paper towel covering is your safest option.

Use stainless-steel water bottles. Many companies are jumping on this bandwagon. Sigg and Klean Kanteen are two popular ones.

Use silicone pacifiers and nipples instead of rubber or latex. The latter may leach nitrosamines, chemicals linked with cancer.

Unlucky #7. This is your magic BPA number and can be found stamped on the bottom of offending bottles—baby bottles are major offenders but also include some of the ultra-popular Nalgene-type water bottles. The #7 doesn't necessarily mean that bisphenol A is present but it may be. The Nalgene Web site will keep you abreast of the latest developments. For baby bottles, make sure you do your research.

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by: UltimateFitnessGear