Kaitlin Henderson
English 101.07
Leah Stahl
Research Paper
Hidden Dangers: How Plastic Can Kill You
A family sits peacefully in their living room, happily watching a movie on their new big screen TV. A mother hurries to prepare a bottle to soothe her crying baby. A young couple begins renovations on their new home by giving each room a fresh coat of paint. A father scolds his son to sit still so he can put sunscreen on him to prevent sunburn. All of these simple acts occur during every day life, acts so simple and seemingly meaningless that we seldom give them much thought. But lurking beneath these occurrences is a hidden danger, undetectable to the human eye. The DVD the family sat down to watch is made out of polycarbonates, which contain the toxic chemical BPA. The baby bottle the loving mother prepared contains the same. The young couple, preparing their house for their life together, used paint that contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause eye, nose and throat irritations, as well as central nervous system disruptions. The sunscreen that is made to protect the little boy from becoming sunburned contains the chemical oxybenzone, which is absorbed through his skin and can cause hormonal disruptions. The list goes on and on. All around us, in our food, in our cleaning products, and in our toys are chemicals that can wreak havoc on almost all and any system in our bodies. These chemicals go largely unnoticed, but appear in many things that we use almost every day, while we are blind to the consequences. They affect everybody, and the results can be deadly. All people need to educate themselves about these hazards and learn how they can avoid them.
The first question one might be tempted to ask is, “How did these chemicals get into these products that we use every day?” The answer lies in the very essence of what makes up these items. These chemicals are the building blocks of the synthetic substances that form plastic. Let’s use bisphenol A (BPA) for example. BPA is a key substance in making polymer, which in turn helps make up polycarbonate, the ingredient that makes plastic firm but still pliable. Polymer is also the building block for many other hazardous items. It makes up polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which can leak phthalates. It’s also found in polystyrene, a base of Styrofoam, which produces the toxic chemical styrene (Walsh 49-50).
Now that we know how and why these chemicals are present in our every day life, the next step is to identify the different types of these chemicals. Unfortunately, this may be the most difficult step, as the long, confusing scientific terms prove a challenge for many people. But with study and understanding everyone can learn what harmful things to avoid. The first, and one of the most prevalent is the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. This is one of the most dangerous toxins, simply because it appears almost everywhere. Wayne Ellwood says in his article “This Toxic Life” that BPA is, “ . . .the lifeblood of the plastics industry. Nearly three million tons of the stuff is manufactured every year. It’s used to make polycarbonate plastic, a rigid hard plastic used in everything from baby bottles and sports water bottles to CDs, DVDs, dental sealants, and the resin lining food and drink containers” (6). Phthalates, another ingredient in plastics, are similar to BPA and can be found in polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic that is used for many things, like piping. Brominated flame retardants (BPDEs) are also found in many plastics. Styrene is another toxic chemical found in plastic items like utensils and Styrofoam containers. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are two types of deadly pesticides that have been banned by the United States, but because of their widespread use prior to the ban, they still show up in our bodies today.
It’s clear that most of these chemicals are used in the production of plastics. But which specific items are they found in? Mark Schapiro says in his book Exposed that “Phthalates are not integral to the chemical structure of plastic, but are additives, making hard plastic soft and pliable” (42). This opens up the door for a whole host of items. Shower curtains, shampoo bottles, medical equipment, pipes, lotions, perfume, cosmetics, and most disturbingly, a majority of children’s toys contain phthalates. BPA, as mentioned above, can be found in plastic bottles, DVDS, CDS, nylon, and again, children’s toys. BPDEs, the flame retardants, “are used in the casings of myriad consumer electronics-computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, you name it” (Ellwood 7). The prevalence of all these chemicals in things we use every day is a disturbing thought. Even more alarming is the proximity to things like our food and drink, which chemicals can easily leach into. The exposure children and infants have to these toxins so early in life is a dangerous problem.
So we know what these chemicals are and what they’re found in, but what’s the big deal? What can these chemicals do to hurt us so badly, if we’ve all been ingesting them for years? The answer to that is plenty. The study of the levels of chemicals in the human body is relatively new, but it is showing startling results.
In Canada, the NGO Environmental Defence tested five families. . .On average, 32 chemicals were in each parent and 23 in each child. Of the 46 chemicals detected in total: 38 were cancer-causing substances; 38 were chemicals that can harm reproduction and child development; 19 can harm the nervous system; 23 can disrupt the hormone system; and 12 chemicals were linked to respiratory illness (Ellwood 6).
BPA and phthalates fall under the category of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These chemicals disrupt the delicate balance of hormones and the endocrine system, leading to all kinds of issues like breast and prostate cancer, reproductive disorders, fertility problems, and early onset of puberty. These hormone changes especially affect the male reproductive system. It has been linked to a lower birth rate of male babies and lower testosterone levels, which impairs the development of the male reproductive systems. The troubling consequence of this is the harm it is doing to unborn babies and young children. Children are exposed early, while still in the womb because of the exposure their mothers have had to the chemicals. They continue to ingest them through their mothers’ milk and their own toys.
In addition to the hormone disrupting chemicals, there are many other diseases and harmful side effects that can come from exposure to chemicals. In his article “The Perils of Plastic”, Bryan Walsh reveals, “A host of modern ills that have been rising unchecked for a generation—obesity, diabetes, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—could have chemical connections”. (44) BPDEs, which are passed easily from mother to child, can harm the brains of growing babies and cause neurological and developmental problems. Benzene, a key chemical in petrol, rubber, and paint, affects the blood system, destroying both white and red blood cells, and in the most serious of cases, can even cause leukemia (Timbrell 177). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is found is carpet cleaners and non-stick cooking spray, can cause testicular, liver, and pancreatic cancer. The endocrine disrupting chemicals can also strike in other systems, causing diseases like breast, prostate, testicular, and ovarian cancers.
Right now you might be saying to yourself, “Wow, this is a serious health problem for us. But if these chemicals are used in plastics and synthetic materials, how do they get into our bodies?” The unfortunate thing is that the toxins don’t always stay where they are put. “ . . .plastics with BPA can break down, especially when they’re washed, heated, or stressed, allowing the chemical to leach into food and water and then enter the human body” (Walsh 45). Many of these chemicals are found in products that come into close contact with our bodies. Phthalates are found in many cosmetics and lotions, resulting in the direct absorption of the chemical through a consumer’s skin. There is an environmental source as well. Many pesticides, like with PCB and DDT, have toxic effects on humans as well as insects and animals. According to Anna Lappe in her book Diet for a Hot Planet, “After the war, the use of chemicals that had been developed under wartime mandates was applied to agriculture” (17). The same chemicals that were used in poison gases in the First and Second World Wars were once used on our food. Since pesticides like DDT and PCB are bio-accumulative—which means they build up over time rather than break down—people who were born after they were banned can still have traces of the toxins in their systems.
So what’s being done to help reduce the number of these toxic chemicals? Unfortunately, not as much as there could be. The accepted philosophy among toxicologists was, “The dose makes the poison,” as it was coined by Paracelsus, the father of toxicology. The accepted amount of BPA in the body is 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. However, this was made 22 years ago, and new research is showing that it is in fact the smaller doses that are more lethal. “Tiny amounts of hormones produce immense biological and behavioral changes, so it stand to reason that a chemical that mirrors a hormone might do the same . . .” (Walsh 45). Even though the level of chemicals may be lower than regulatory levels, another problem arises. Schapiro points it out: “The argument [for removing phthalates from children’s toys] is similar concerning cosmetics: one chemical in one product may have minimal effect, but at a time when humans are exposed to chemicals of every description, quantities rise from multiple sources” (49). We are endangered not only from the toxic chemicals around us, but how the chemicals react with other chemicals inside of our bodies.
The main reason that no sweeping reform has been made to purge the toxins from our products is the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are allowed to regulate chemicals. Arianne Cohen says in her article “Personal Chemistry” that, “Our regulatory system treats chemicals the same way our judicial system treats people, maintaining that they are innocent until proven guilty and trying them one by one” (65). The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which was supposed to help regulate chemicals, instead practically gave chemical companies more protection. It allows companies to keep certain information about the effects and methods of production of the chemicals private, while forcing the government to prove that the chemicals are dangerous rather than the companies proving that they are safe. Also, more than 62,000 chemicals that were used before the TSCA was passed were never subjected to testing (Ellwood 6). Cosmetics are tested on animals to look for rashes or reactions, but these tests aren’t required. Neither are tests for things like air fresheners or perfume (Cohen 64).
There is, however, one governing body that is hearing the cry for reform and taking action. The European Union (EU), an economic committee, has been taking steps to keep harmful chemicals out of products. They passed legislation in 2005 enforcing testing of cosmetics for harmful chemicals and banning those that were found to contain such chemicals. In 1999, the EU banned several phthalates from children’s toys (Schapiro 23, 50). They continue to be an excellent example of a strong regulatory system protecting the consumer’s health. The difference in philosophy between the EU and the FDA and EPA is that the EU chooses to take precautionary measures by banning a product if there is speculation that it might be harmful, while American agencies demand one hundred percent proof that the substance is directly harmful. But perhaps the American government could learn from the EU and err on the side of caution rather than possibly endanger its consumers.
There is hope for change though. There is talk of reforming the TSCA and allowing the EPA more power to test chemicals before they are released for public consumption. These movements would put the burden of proof on the chemical companies, and aim to model the United States regulatory system after the example of the European Union. However, these would be dramatic changes that would take many years and a lot of funding, especially if there are no replacement substances for the toxic chemicals. An emerging branch of science called green chemistry seeks to design new chemicals that are not toxic or dangerous (Walsh 48). This has yet to be put into practical use, but advocators of it are very optimistic and hopeful that the future will be free from the need for regulation and banning of dangerous chemicals.
The presence of so many toxic and dangerous chemicals in products that we use every day is an alarming and disturbing revelation. However, in this case knowledge is power, and the more people who become aware of the dangers of these chemicals, the more people will push for reform and help preserve our health by getting rid of these dangerous toxins. Though the regulatory bodies governing the testing of chemicals is flawed, reform is soon coming, and the exploration of new science to develop clean, non hazardous replacements gives us hope that we have a bright, non toxic chemical free future ahead of us.
Works Cited
Cohen, Arianne. “Personal Chemistry.” Popular Science Nov. 2009: 62-69. Academic OneFile.
Web. 9 Dec. 2010.
Ellwood, Wayne. “This Toxic Life.” New Internationalist Sept. 2008: 4-7. Academic Onefile. Web. 9 Dec. 2010.
Lappe, Anna. Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You
Can Do About It. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2010. Print.
Schapiro, Mark. Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for
American Power. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007. Print.
Timbrell, John. The Poison Paradox: Chemicals as Friends and Foes. New York: Oxford
University Press, Inc., 2005. Print.
Walsh, Bryan. “The Perils of Plastic.” Time 12 Apr. 2010: 44-50. Academic OneFile. Web. 9
Dec. 2010.