Health concerns: Plastics are there in our stomach too!

How safe is to use plastics in packaged food, food containers and the products which come in contact with our skin, is debatable. Chemicals known as "phthalates" (pronounced thal-ates) make plastics flexible. In use since the 1930s, phthalates can be found today in a wide variety of products, ranging cosmetics, toys and detergents to solvents, lubricants and vinyl flooring, and even in the food packaging. This is of particular concern because Phthalates have in recent months come under considerable scrutiny.

There is a huge amount of data confirming the migration of plastic monomers and additives in all steps of food processing. “Unfortunately, phthalates are highly mobile and can leach or separate from plastics and other products, eventually making their way into the food we eat, the liquids we drink, and the air we breathe” says Dr Meshgan Al Awar, PhD in Chemistry from Cardiff (UK). Some researchers have pointed to potential links between phthalates and abdominal obesity, among other concerns.

Phthalates can also be found in certain medical devices including intravenous bags, blood bags and different kinds of tubing. In fact, recent studies of indoor air and household dust have revealed surprisingly high levels of these chemicals.
Industry sources often claim that plastics used in food packaging are absolutely safe for human health. However, Paul Goettlich in his research article-‘ Get Plastic out Of Your Diet’, writes, “I find a critical disparity between the level of science employed by the regulations and the current scientific knowledge regarding the levels at which plastics migrate to food and the effects they can have. In particular, I am more concerned with extremely low concentrations. There is also a conflict of interest in allowing the manufacturer to submit its own testing to the approving agencies as proof of anything.” He further adds, “We invite the fox into the henhouse and are surprised when there’s nothing left but eggshells and feathers”.
How can you know whether a product contains phthalates?

Manufacturers are not obligated to list phthalates in the ingredients lists Some manufacturers may list the chemicals on their packaging. Phthalates commonly used in products include:
• DBP (dibutyl phthalate).
• DINP (diisononyl phthalate).
• DEP (diethyl phthalate).
• DEHP (di 2-ethylhexl phthalate).
• DMP (dimethyl phthalate).
• BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate).
• DNOP (di-n-octyl phthalate).
• DIDP (Diisodecyl phthalate).




Plastics are definitely flowing in our blood streams. According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics last year, University of Washington tested the urine of 163 infants and found that all the babies had at least one type of phthalate in their system while 81 per cent had at least seven different types. Among children who had recently had their hair shampooed or had lotion applied to their body, levels of phthalates were higher, the study said. The study cautioned, however, that the products themselves were not tested for phthalates. Researchers also noted that there was no proof the chemicals found in the babies' urine were harmful.

What you can do?

By using even the least offensive plastic one only prolongs and increases the toxic load on the Earth and in our bodies. Stephanie Barger, executive director of Earth Resource Foundation in Costa Mesa, California says,”We are extracting and destroying the Earth to use a plastic bag for 10 minutes." To avoid further degradation of the environment with plastic, we just have to stop using plastic the way we do it right now. Each one of us can make an effort to reduce the amount of plastics we use by disposing of our own trash responsibly, by not buying stuff with excessive packaging, by not buying stuff that we don't really need and by assisting in clean up efforts with local organizations that can recycle plastics.