| Question: Have plastic food and beverage | | | | even for a prolonged period of time." |
| containers been proven safe?Answer: No.During | | | | However, what was deemed acceptable levels of |
| the film's graduation party in THE GRADUATE, | | | | phthalates in 2003 now is recognized as |
| Mr. McGuire pulls Benjamin Braddock (Dustin | | | | "crystal clearly" too high.Selective |
| Hoffman) aside to offer sage advice for his | | | | interpretations from the ACC (American |
| future. His future would be one word: | | | | Chemistry Council) lead to this erroneously |
| "plastics."Of course, we all know Mr. | | | | high level being "set" for past toxicity |
| McGuire's advice and prognostication was | | | | standards. The ACC is an "industry group" |
| correct. Plastics can only be made by man in | | | | advisor. It's much like the wolf guarding the |
| his infinite wisdom, hence they are | | | | henhouse. Thanks to the ACC efforts, control |
| patentable. The profit in the manufacture of | | | | regulations placed upon this chemical class |
| plastics has been huge. Plastics are | | | | are minimal. An ongoing perpetuation of |
| everywhere. Plastic manufacturing now uses 4% | | | | phthalate approval for use in virtually |
| of the world's oil production annually. | | | | everything, including containment of food, |
| Automobiles are now 9% plastic. It is of my | | | | has resulted. In fact, the perpetuation of |
| special concern that more foods and beverages | | | | these mythological high safety standards has |
| are being put into plastic containers. | | | | resulted in the majority of our food being |
| Plastics are ubiquitous now. They persist and | | | | wrapped or contained in plastics that leach |
| accumulate in our society as their production | | | | EDC's into our foods.The ACC's Phthalate |
| exceeds their chemical degradation rate. | | | | Esters Panel is made up representatives from |
| Harmful chemicals from plastics are now | | | | BASF, Eastman Chemical, Exxon-Mobil Chemical, |
| commonly found in groundwater, waterways, and | | | | Ferro, and Teknor Apex Corporations. After |
| drinking water.While standing out in the | | | | graduating, Benjamin could have gone to work |
| summer heat in Phoenix, Arizona in 1981, my | | | | for any of these companies to share the |
| girlfriend asked me what was causing the film | | | | wealth that plastics manufacturing have |
| to form on the inside of the windshield of | | | | reaped, instead of hanging around and |
| her new Mazda 626. She said that she had to | | | | sporting Mrs. Robinson for the summer!I love |
| wipe it off every morning so she could see to | | | | one of the rationalization examples the ACC |
| drive to work. I didn't know then. I do now! | | | | makes on their PHTHALATES INFORMATION CENTER |
| It was phthalates, the chemical that was | | | | webpage: "Thanks to phthalates, your nail |
| added to the plastic dash cover to soften it | | | | polish doesn't chip." I wonder if they are |
| and prevent cracking. I'm sure by now most of | | | | aware of the "unexplained" high rate of |
| the phthalate has evaporated into our | | | | breast cancer in manicurists. I also wonder |
| atmosphere and the Mazda is in some junkyard | | | | if they are aware that most breast tissues |
| with a cracked up dash.Phthalates are EDC's | | | | and breast cancers have sex hormone receptors |
| (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.) They are | | | | that are acted upon by the EDC's found in |
| chemicals found in recycle codes #1 through | | | | plastics.To further confuse the public, the |
| #6 plastics. Another EDC (Bisphenol A) is in | | | | ACC webpage also redefines the PRECAUTIONARY |
| recycle code #7 plastics. All of these types | | | | PRINCIPLE which in its un-perverted |
| of plastic EDC's interfere with the function | | | | definition simply is: A (chemical) should not |
| of sex hormones receptors. In THE GRADUATE | | | | be considered safe until it is proven safe. |
| Benjamin was quite a stud. I wonder if he's | | | | Environmentalists who are trying to unravel |
| now taking one of the popular drugs to treat | | | | the cause-effect relationships of environment |
| erectile dysfunction, a disorder that has | | | | chemicals, to the otherwise unexplained |
| become one of the many epidemics in our new | | | | epidemics of various diseases now affecting |
| plastic world.In 2003 a group of Croatian | | | | man as well as every species on our planet, |
| scientists reported that phthalates in | | | | encourage its application. The ACC's watered |
| plastics dissolved in various solutions. They | | | | down version suggests that cost effective, |
| used a variety of plastic items, including | | | | fearless risks are worth taking.Can the ACC |
| plastic food containers. After 10 days of | | | | keep up the phthalate safety illusion |
| sitting in distilled water, an average of | | | | forever? The American Tobacco Association |
| 55.4 mg/ of phthalates from each kilogram of | | | | almost got away with it!We now know that |
| plastic "migrated" into the water. To a | | | | EDC's, like hormones themselves require very |
| lesser degree the phthalates from plastics | | | | minute amounts to have physiologic impact. |
| dissolved into acetic acid 3% (44.4 mg/kg) | | | | EDC's are active in parts per trillion! For |
| and 10% ethyl alcohol (32.3 mg/kg).The | | | | example, the usual adult maintenance dose of |
| Croatian study shows what Benjamin would | | | | levothyroxine, a drug to replace depleted |
| suspect, if he took chemistry in college: | | | | natural thyroid hormone in hypothyroidism, is |
| Water is the universal solvent; and it | | | | 1.6 micrograms/Kg/day. Why would I even think |
| dissolves even the primarily fat soluble | | | | about saying that a dose in the milligrams |
| phthalates. The more that you filter water to | | | | (1000 times as much as a microgram) of a |
| remove other toxic solutes, the more | | | | known EDC would be safe, especially for a |
| aggressive water becomes in its power to | | | | child or developing fetus?We now know that |
| reach osmolar equilibrium by dissolving its | | | | phthalates also work in synergy with |
| non-inert containers.What is also obviously | | | | chemicals in other classes to exert "more |
| missing from the Croatians' controlled, | | | | than additive" physiologic effects.Previous |
| static testing model are the temperature | | | | experiments in rodents showed that high |
| variations that the plastic bottled water | | | | levels of phthalates interfer with |
| product goes through to get from bottling | | | | testosterone during gestation resulting in |
| point to the mouth of the consumer. Transport | | | | birth defects of the genitalia, testicular |
| trucks probably reach a very high temperature | | | | cancer, and infertility in the rats.The ACC |
| in the non refrigerated cargo areas that | | | | inspired acceptable level of phthalate myth |
| carry PETE (recycle code #1 plastic) bottled | | | | should be blown out of the water with a |
| water in the summer. Heat facilitates the | | | | recent study completed by the University of |
| dissolution of phthalates into the water. | | | | Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. |
| Then the bottles may be stored for a much | | | | This study of 85 human infant boys reported |
| longer time than 10 days prior to | | | | in May 2005 showed that phthalate levels |
| consumption. Furthermore, freezing the | | | | found normally in the general population |
| containers produces micro-fissures in the | | | | adversely influenced sexual development. The |
| interior surface of the plastic bottle | | | | phthalate exposure these children had |
| container as the water expands, exponentially | | | | correlated with smaller penis size and |
| exposing more solute surface area. Traumatic | | | | incomplete testicular descent, which is a |
| handling or any motion of the package will | | | | condition that greatly increases the risk of |
| further enhance diffusion. Applying the laws | | | | testicular cancer if left untreated.Solution |
| of physics, all of these factors clearly by | | | | 1 - Choose glass containers over plastic for |
| extrapolation will increase the water | | | | purchase and storage of food and beverages |
| dissolution of the plastic containers.Fatty | | | | including milk and water.American children |
| foods in plastic containers are even more | | | | can consume several milligrams of phthalate |
| problematic, as fats are absorbed differently | | | | each day.I wonder if THE GRADUATE's Mr. |
| and carry their phthalate solvents into our | | | | Robinson noticed that most of the teenage |
| bodies more easily. Phthalates bio-accumulate | | | | girls now-days have bigger breasts than his |
| because of their fat solubility. Phthalates | | | | seductive wife (gynecomastia), and that they |
| concentrate in such fat organs in our bodies | | | | begin thelarche (breast development) and |
| such as brains, prostates, testicles, | | | | menarche (menstruation) at a significantly |
| ovaries, breasts and, unfortunately, breast | | | | younger age, or that many more have an |
| milk. (The other popular food alternatives | | | | endocrine pathology called PCOS (polycystic |
| for infants are worse. Commercial baby | | | | ovary syndrome).The chances of a woman |
| formulas are loaded with the manmade | | | | getting breast cancer in her lifetime has |
| phthalates.)I think the worst example of food | | | | probably gone from a risk of less than 1 in |
| containment in plastic is milk. All milk | | | | 10 (10%) before THE GRADUATE was made to a 1 |
| except non-fat milk contains fat. Cow milk | | | | in about 7.5 (13.2 %) rate today.The choice |
| itself represents a major source of the fats | | | | to avoid food chain plastics is a |
| ingested by the public, especially children. | | | | "no-brainer" when you understand how these |
| Cattle concentrate these chemicals by | | | | chemicals persist and accumulate in our |
| bioaccummulation because EDC's from plastics | | | | environment, and how they function in our |
| are ubiquitous in water and most animal food | | | | bodies!Solution 2 - Choose stainless steel |
| sources. Meat and dairy products are | | | | containers over plastic for storage of food |
| therefore a major contributor to this group | | | | and beverages including water.Unfortunately, |
| of human food chain derived toxins, | | | | we are past the point of no return with |
| regardless of their containment. It is now | | | | phthalates. Just like |
| irresponsible to add more phathalates to the | | | | |
| products by putting the milk products in | | | | cigarettes I think we'll have to live as |
| plastic containers that add MORE EDC's.Cattle | | | | prisoners with their impact on future |
| have intentially been "fattened up" by adding | | | | generations. The only defense we have at this |
| hormones AND unintentially "fattened up" more | | | | time is to individually choose to avoid them |
| by the contamination of cattle food and water | | | | when we can, to mitigate their effects on our |
| by EDC's. The combination of these chemicals | | | | health.Phthalates clearly act upon hormone |
| passed on to the consumers in concentrated | | | | receptors in both men and women. A concern is |
| form in milk products will most likely | | | | the potential phthalate impact on breast and |
| exacerbate obesity in humans that consume | | | | other hormone sensitive tissue in human |
| them as well.Our current scientific knowledge | | | | females, but phthalate's demasculinizing |
| and common sense screams for an end to | | | | potential on males is more of a threat to all |
| consumer purchase of milk bottled in | | | | species on the planet.Unlike Mr. McGuire, I |
| plastics. Until milk companies have their | | | | think we can choose a better future by |
| products quantatatively analysed for these | | | | avoiding his "one word." We should start by |
| EDC's by competent independant laboratories, | | | | trying to reduce plastics in our food chain |
| my strong recommendation is to avoid purchase | | | | exposures.Bottom line: |
| and consumption of milk and dairy products | | | | |
| contained in plastic.Sadly, the Croatian | | | | I would strongly advise consumers to |
| authors' 2003 conclusions about the safety of | | | | purchase beverages and non-solid food |
| plastics were: "These (exposure) levels would | | | | products packaged in glass rather than |
| not present a hazard for human health, not | | | | plastic if given the choice. |