01.04.08
A Day in the Life – How Plastic Risk is Everywhere
Jolene races around in the morning, trying to get the family ready for the day. She pours OJ for the kids out of a big plastic jug (containing BPA, more about that later) and grabs sandwiches she picked up last night at the grocery for the kids’ lunches (wrapped in PVC plastic). She microwaves a breakfast burrito for her son in a plastic container (containing phtlalates). She grabs a couple of plastic water bottles from the stash she sends through the dishwasher and reuses (causes leaching and breakdown) and fills them with filtered water from the refrigerator. She’ll catch coffee at the drivethrough on the way to work (Styrofoam).
It isn’t even 9 AM and Jolene has made a series of decisions that can cause her — and her family — to ingest human carcinogens. Repeated over and over again, month after month, year after year, this accumulated exposure is steadily building up in her body and in those she loves. Let’s take a look at the dangers and ways to counter them.
New studies show that when certain plastics and food and drink mix, minutes amounts of dangerous chemicals may be released into our bodies that may cause cancer, gene mutation and damaging hormonal changes (learn more). Common action that we don’t think much about – say, microwaving that frozen dinner or leaving your water bottle on the seat of the car where it can be heated up by the sun – can intensify the leaching process. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, leading naturalist and integrative medicine specialist, the top plastics to watch out for are Polystyrene (plastic #6), PVC or V plastic wrap (#3) and #7 plastic.
Styrofoam/Polystyrene: commonly used for hot and cold drinks and take out containers. The concern is that the component styrene leaches into your food or drink, a process exacerbated by heat. In lab mice exposed to styrene, damage to their major organs was seen and it’s a potential human carcinogen. What to do: Carry a stainless bottle and transfer your water or coffee into it (it will keep it warmer too). Remove take out food immediately when you get home and transfer to glass. Never, ever microwave or warm this plastic.
PVC wrap: polyvinyl chloride is flexible plastic wrap. At the supermarket, it may be wrapping that wheel of brie, pre-made sandwiches or luncheon meat at the deli. At home, it’s the plastic wrap that you use for leftovers or to wrap up that half of an onion. The problem is chemicals called phtlalates and adipates which are known to be highly toxic to mice. What to do: Choose plastic wrap which does not contain these chemicals. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends Glad Cling Wrap or Saran Cling Plus brands. When buying meats, etc., from the store, get them home and out of their original wrap. Interesting tidbit: The EU bans phtlalates altogether.
#7 Plastic: this bad boy is found in plastic forks & knives and some TV dinners. The problem is the chemical Bisphenol A or BTA, another systemically damaging chemical which can contribute to cancers, miscarriages and more. Did you need another reason to get back to nature with fresh foods? Swearing off microwavable entrees is a great way to begin the new year.
So….what about individually wrapped string cheese? What about pre-washed salad greens? Once you start realizing the huge amount of plastics you come into contact with every day, it’s a bit scary. We’re not saying that you have to be hypervigilant. That’s probably an impossible standard to live up to. Think more in terms of the biggest actions you can take which will net you the biggest results. Probably transferring your bottled water to glass or stainless if you drink from a bottle all day long, every day, is a great way to start. Don’t try to save pennies by sending them through the dishwasher (of course recycle them!) which may accelerate the leaching potential. Promise yourself that you’ll give up microwaving in plastic. And learn to look at the bottom of your commonly purchased products for these safer plastics: PET 1, HDPE, LDPE. I finally ditched my beloved collection of plastic storage container and boxes. They’ve been retired to the garage to hold nuts and bolts and non-ingestibles. I replaced them with a $49 Pyrex set of glass containers with plastic lids (cool as long as they don’t come in contact with your food). Good luck and good health in the new year.
