Identify the plastic cups which do harm to the people
Plastic#1:PolyethyleneTerephthalate(PET)Theseplasticsaretypicallyusedtoholdsoftdrinks,water,juice,sportsdrinks,beer,mouthwash,ketchup,andsaladdressing.They'realsousedascontainersforpeanutbutter,jelly,jam,andpickles.Thistypeisalsousedinoven-friendlyfilmandmicrowavablefoodtrays.Thisplasticisconsideredtobesafe,buttherearesomeissuestobeawareof.Theprimaryproblemisthatantimony,ametalloidelementwithtoxicqualities,leachesfromPET.Therateofleakageincreaseswithtemperature.Normally,theamountofantimonythatseepsintoliquidiswellbelowtheUSEnvironmentalProtectionAgency'smaximumcontaminantlevel.Butthatassumesthecontainerstaysatroomtemperature.AccordingtotheUSCenterforDiseaseControl(CDC),antimonycancauseacuteandchronichealthissues,suchasdiarrhea,vomiting,andstomachulcers.Studiesindicatethatstorageofthesebottlesatextendedperiodsoftime,andatincreasedtemperatures,canresultinunhealthyamountsofantimony.Forexample,abottlestoredat60degreesCfor176dayswillyieldunhealthylevels(maximumcontaminantlevel(MCL)of6ppb),aswouldabottlestoredat85degreesCforjust1.3days.Theseareveryreasonabletemperatures,andcouldtypicallybereachedinwarmgaragesorcarsinthesummertime.Threeyearsago,astudyshowedthatmicrowavingcansignificantlyincreasetherateatwhichantimonyleachesintoPETbottles.Theauthorsrecommendedthatplasticbottlemanufacturerswashbottlesbeforefirstusetoremovemetalcontaminantslikeantimony.Andin2012,astudyindicatedthat,inadditiontoantimony,brominatedcompoundscanalsoleachintoPETbottles.Bromine,anaturallyoccurringelementthatisaliquidatroomtemperature,canirritatetheskin,mucousmembranes,andtissues.Butit'snotclearfromthestudyiftheconcentrationsofleakedbromineareatdangerouslevels.Plastic#2:HighDensityPolyethylene(HDPE)Thisplasticisusedtobottlemilk,water,juice,cosmetics,shampoo,dishandlaundrydetergentsand,householdcleaners.Bagsforgroceriesandcerealboxlinersarealsomadeoutofthestuff.HDPEisconsideredalowhazardplastic.But,asa2011studypointedout,mostplasticproductsreleaseestrogenicchemicals—includingHDPE.Chemicalshavingestrogenicactivity(EA)aresuspectedtocausehealthproblems,especiallyatlowdosesinfetalandjuvenilemammals.EAexposurehasbeenshowntoalterthestructureofhumancells,posingpotentialriskstoinfantsandchildren.Astheauthorspointedout,“allcommerciallyavailableplasticitemswouldleachdetectableamountsofchemicalshavingEAoncesuchitemsareexposedtoboilingwater,sunlight(UV),and/ormicrowaving."[emphasisadded]It'sworthnotingthat,asNPRpointedout,The“studydoesn'tlookathealthrisks.Itsimplyaskswhethercommonplasticproductsreleaseestrogen-likechemicalsotherthanBPA."Plastic#3:PolyvinylChloride(PVC)Thisversatileplasticcanberigidorflexible,andit'scommonlyusedintheproductionofblisterpacksandclamshells(forstoringpills,forexample).It'susedtomakebagsforbedding,shrinkwrap,deliandmeatwrap,andtamperresistantlids.Andit'sthefirstofthebadones.ASwedishstudyfrom2008foundthatplasticizedPVC—whichcanbeusedtomakeartificialleather,bathtubtoys,inflatablebathingringsandtablecloths—andpolyurethane—tomakeartificialleather,floorcoatingandchildren'shandbags—allleachtoxicchemicalsintowater.Thestudydidn'tassesstheimpactsofthesechemicalsonhumans,insteadchroniclingitsimpactsontheDaphniamagnafleaandthelengthoftimeitwasrenderedincapacitated.Thatsaid,aninvestigationintotwotypesofphthalates,whichareusedasaplasticsoftenerforPVC,hasshownanassociationwithasthmainchildren.Di(2-ethylhexyl)Phthalate(DEHP)isusedwidelyinconsumerproducts,includingplastics,vinylflooring,andpersonalcareproducts.DEHPisahighlysolublecompoundthatislooselychemicallybondedtoplasticandleachesintobloodorotherlipid-containingsolutionsthatcomeincontactwiththeplastic.Aseparatestudycorroboratesthisresearch,statingthat,“Phthalatesfrompolyvinylchloride(PVC)plasticsmayhaveadverseeffectsonairwaysandimmunologicsystems,”butnotedthat“[t]helackofobjectiveexposureinformationlimitstheepidemiologicdata.”Meaningthatmoreworkneedstobedonetestinghumans.Andastudyfromlastyearshowedalinkbetweenphthalatesandfemalefertilityinmice.YoucanreadmoreaboutDEHPandhowwe'reexposedtoithere.It'sworthnotingthatDEHPisamongthefirstsixcompoundsthattheEUisphasingoutunderitsRegistration,Evaluation,Authorization&RestrictionofChemicalsubstances(REACH)program.Plastic#4:LowDensityPolyethylene(LDPE)Theseplasticsarefoundinbagsfordrycleaning,newspapers,bread,frozenfoods,freshproduce,andhouseholdgarbage.They'reusedinshrinkwrap,coatingsforpapermilkcartonsandhotandcoldbeveragecups.LDPEisusedtomakecontainerlids,toys,andsqueezablebottles(likehoneyandmustard).LDPEisconsideredalowhazardplastic.Plastic#5:Polypropylene(PP)PPisusedtomakecontainersforyogurt,margarine,takeoutmeals,anddelifoods.They'realsofoundinmedicinebottles,bottlecapsandclosures,andbottlesforketchupandsyrup.PPisconsideredasafeplastic.Plastic#6:Polystyrene(PS)SometimescalledStyrofoam,thisisaplasticthat'scommonlyfoundinfoodserviceitemslikecups,plates,bowls,cutlery,hingedtakeoutcontainers(clamshells),meatandpoultrytrays,andrigidfoodcontainers(egyogurt),andaspirinbottles.Polystyreneisalsousedtomakeprotectivefoampackagingforfurniture.Thisisanotherplasticyou'llwanttoavoid.Afundamentalproblemisthatstyrenecanleachfrompolystyrene.Styrenehasbeenlinkedtocancer,buttheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyhasnotgivenitaformalcarcinogenclassification.Thatsaid,theEPAadmitsthere'sanassociationtoanincreasedriskofleukemiaandlymphoma(amongotherthings).Otherstudiesshowthatstyrenecanactasaneurotoxininthelongterm.Studiesonanimalsreportharmfuleffectsofstyreneonred-bloodcells,theliver,kidney,andstomachorgans.Thatsaid,moststyreneconcernsdon'tappeartocomefrompolystyrene.TheNIHLlistsstyreneasaprobablecarcinogen,butsaysthatthestyreneleachedfrompolystyrenefoodcontainersareat"verylow"levels.Italsonotesthatstyreneisknowntocauselungtumorsinmice.A2007studyshowedthat,inStyrofoamandPScups,“hotwaterwasfoundtobecontaminatedwithstyreneandotheraromaticcompounds.”Temperaturewasshowntoplayamajorroleintheleachingofstyrene.Butwhetherornotstyreneleachesintofoodandwaterfrompolystyreneatdangerouslevelsisaclaimthat'sstillcontested.Butasthe2007studyconcludes,“Consideringthetoxiccharacteristicofstyreneandleachinginwaterandotherproducts,PSmaterialshouldbeavoidedforfoodpackaging."YoucanalsoreadtheCDC'sofficialstatementonstyrenehere.Plastic#7:OtherLastbutcertainlynotleast,wehavethenastiestoneofall,Plastic#7.It'sakindofcatch-alldesignationthatdescribespackagesmadeofaresinotherthanthesixstandardtypes.It'salsousedtodescribeplasticsmadefromanycombinationofthestandardsixplusotherresintypes.Theseplasticsareusedtomakesuchthingsasthree-andfive-gallonreusablewaterbottles,includingsomecitrusjuiceandketchupbottles.It'salsousedtomakeoven-bakingbags,barrierlayers,andcustompackaging.Obviously,it'sdifficulttopindownthehealthrisksforsuchanunspecifiedcategory,butthemostsignificantissuewiththisclassofplasticsisthehormone-disruptingchemicalbisphenolA(BPA).Somebottles,includingbabybottles,aremadeofpolycarbonateplastic,apolymermadewithBPA.JustoneweekofpolycarbonateplasticusecanincreaseurinaryBPAconcentrationbytwo-thirds.Andindeed,BPAisubiquitous;itmaybepresentinasmanyas95%ofadults.AquicksummaryofthehealthrisksassociatedwithBPAincludereproductiveabnormalitieslikelowerspermcounts,hormonalchanges,enlargedprostateglands,asthma,abnormalitiesinthenumberofchromosomesineggs,andpre-cancerouschangesinthebreastandprostate(atleastinmice).It'salsobeenlinkedtoobesityandinsulinresistance.Therearealsoepigeneticfactorstoconsider.BPAsuppressestheexpressionofagenethat'svitaltonervecellfunctionandtothedevelopmentofthecentralnervoussystem.Itmayalsopredisposebothanimalsandhumanstoneurodevelopmentaldisorders,autismincluded.FROM:www.fycup.com