Study of Chemical in Plastic Bottles Raises Alarm
Bisphenol A (BPA), a compound in hard, clear polycarbonate plastics, is getting official scrutiny—and things are looking less than rosy for the controversial chemical. The U.S. government's National Toxicology Program yesterday agreed with a scientific panel that recently expressed concern about physiological changes that occur in people when they ingest BPA that has leached from plastics into their food. The Canadian government is even considering declaring the chemical toxic, reports today's New York Times. This could set the stage for banning it from plastic baby bottles, water bottles, and food containers. At the very least, some people will be even more eager to buy foods and beverages in BPA-free containers.
BPA has raised concerns because it appears to mimic the effects of estrogen, interfering with hormone levels and cell signaling systems. Previous studies have shown that people exposed to high levels of BPA have a greater risk of developing uterine fibroids, breast cancer, decreased sperm counts, and prostate cancer. Babies and children are thought to be at greatest risk from the exposure. In fact, the scientific evidence warrants "a higher level of concern than those expressed by the expert [scientific] panel for possible effects of bisphenol A on prostate gland, mammary gland and early onset of puberty in exposed fetuses, infants and children," the NTP report concludes.
Not surprisingly, sales of BPA-free baby bottles spiked after yesterday's news. "We tripled our sales overnight on the website and will be shipping an additional 300,000 bottles to Canada this week to meet an increased demand," says Ron Vigdor, president of BornFree, which manufactures BPA-free bottles. He adds that Babies "R" Us also indicated that it would be increasing its order to U.S. stores.
Beyond switching baby bottles, another way to lower exposure to BPA is to avoid heating foods and liquids in plastic containers that contain the compound. The amount of BPA that leaches out, the NTP says, may depend more on the temperature of the liquid, food, or container itself than on the age of the plastic bottle or dish. Check out this story on BPA and babies and this story on BPA and plastic containers for more tips on minimizing your and your family's exposure to BPA.
Reader Comments
Babes in the Statehouse
"The companies we trust to put out safe products" is the key phrase. We need a database of companies who have failed that standard. We are sick of it and don't want to take it anymore. But we won't get that data. Too many lobbyists, too much lobbying money and too many takers in our government. Caveat Emptor and Show Me the Money meet at the State House.
A little more information, please...
So, we should watch out for "hard, clear polycarbonate plastics"?
This would presumably include the clear (though not the frosty-white) Nalgene-type bottles. What else? What is the number on the particular plastic in question? Is it found in, say, bottled-water bottles?
If our government plans on taking a few years to study this chemical before acting, give us the information to opt out of using these plastics, should we want to.
Wake up!
The only time things like this even get reported is when major public outcry (or small but vocal public outcry) forces the situation into the light. Companies will never admit to their product causing harm, because our lawsuit-crazy nation of (often) greedy individuals looking to cash in makes it financially devastating for a company to admit they're wrong, that they made a mistake.
Companies aren't going to protect you, they're looking out for their bottom line. The government isn't going to protect you, they're too interested in protecting industry.
Truly, the only person responsible for your health is you. And until the day that pharmaceutical companies are in business to put themselves out of business (i.e. actually cure and PREVENT disease) don't trust them either.
Trust nature, trust God, trust yourself.
Uterine Fibroids
If you have uterine fibroids make sure you examine all your treatment options. Of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed each year in this country, 200,000 are performed for uterine fibroids. There are many non-surgical options available. Make sure you question your doctor.
Read this:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=124229&page=1.html
The toxic aspects of plastic Containers:
What is most interesting about the toxic aspects of using plastic to contain our
Foods, and beverages, the discovery of the dangers to human health was
revealed long ago, and with substantial research to back up this unhealthy
tradition. Why hasn't anything changed about this posing danger to our children,
and human beings at large? What must be done to bring this dangerous fact
to the everyday life of our citizens? Wake up America!
Edward J. Abdo
The toxic aspects of plastic Containers:
What is most interesting about the toxic aspects of using plastic to contain our
Foods, and beverages, the discovery of the dangers to human health was
revealed long ago, and with substantial research to back up this unhealthy
tradition. Why hasn't anything changed about this posing danger to our children,
and human beings at large? What must be done to bring this dangerous fact
to the everyday life of our citizens? Wake up America!
Edward J. Abdo
Beware of those large five gallon spring water bottles, BPA hazzard.
Beware of any plastic bottle with the recycle symbol number 7 on the bottom. These are made of the plastic that contains the toxin BPA. I just discovered that those convenient five gallon bottles of "natural" spring water that are used for home and office delivery are made of the plastic with this toxin. Again look for the 7 symbol when checking yours.
Safe, glass five gallon bottles are available for those who fill their own spring water but I doubt that any of the large spring water companies will be offering glass bottles any time soon.
BPA in plastic bottles
See msnbc.com for a good rundown on the 7 types of plastic. Hard polycarbonate plastic bottles are marked with a 7, which unfortunately only stands for "Other," since the numbers are only recycling codes. According to NBC you should avoid plastics marked 3, 6, and 7, which can contain BPA. And heating the bottle is the worst thing you can do, accelerating the release of BPA into the contents of the bottle. The age of polycarbonate bottles also increases the speed of release. If anyone finds gallon jugs available that are not #3, 6, or 7, please post the info here! In New Mexico we need to buy filtered water in New Mexico to avoid the arsenic in our tap water. Thanks folks, bloozshooz
I agree
These companies could care less about anyone we all know that. The government is the only one protecting us and they do nothing now.
What a racket !
This is those greedy greens again hellbent on getting rid of plastics ! no one has ever died from them and as usual the greens are doomsdaying everythng ,the radicals are the danger !!get rid of the greens the scurge of society !!!
Awake and Watching !
What a blanket statement ... Trust Nature, god and yourself.
I agree that public pressure causes or forces the status quo to change.
Yes Litigation and the system of laws in place do make it possible for "greedy"
people to take advantage of the system. But penalties and damages are also
in place within the system to curtail and limit the negligence of people in our society
who don’t think beyond their dollar driven and self protective agendas.
Question: Which greed is worse companies’ with individualswho knowingly do bad things to people or people who have been hurt and need money to live. (asbestos)
Read some history about what it was like in the early beginnings of the industrial revolution when the common person didn’t have any out let for protecting them selves and how they were kept voiceless.
As for your logic to the statement that companies will not ”admit they're wrong, that they made a mistake” is flawed.
If the average person begins to analyze what has been created in terms of consumer products you will find out that there are no wrong doing or mistakes. Compounds and their elements are predictable to a certain extent. Over the last 40-60 yrs the rules of modern alchemy have been disregarded by corporations and world governments in an effort to maximize profits and broaden market dominance globally. If a company makes something unhealthy then they should not be allowed to participated in the market no is and or buts. And if that downfall occurs from “greedy individual” then so be it. Maybe we are seeing an end of a cycle which companies that disregarded certain principles and codes are ending. Change is coming from pressure and awareness from people like you and me.
People in general cannot always be omnipresent and knowledgeable about ever facet of their life. Most people who have made the chemicals which are disrupting and effecting
our bodies are highly skilled. For the lay person to understand the possible long term effects it would take a lot of time to connect the pieces. What we tend to believe is that
somebody is watching out for us. Your right there need to be responsibility by everyone
involved but it is not as simple as becoming an isolationist and living with nature, god and yourself. That perception is one of the reasons we find our position so out of balance.
We need to create better accountability and responsibility as a community such a network would hold companies accountable. I agree with the earlier contributor
We must learn not to buy from these people… tell the people where you shop to change their allegiance to destructive products. People as individual needs to dedicate time to be informed. Question authority, create community and talk with outer people not just like you about the problems which we face.
As far is god … I trust in it … but we made this mess and if you think some quiet timespent praying is going to bring a manifestation of its energy back here to “clean up” all of the disrespect people have been doing to each other of the last 20 k years…
then your are missing the message.
Peace, Love, Respect.
Racket ?
Hope a plastic bottle that a greedy green missed collecting for a refund
finds a home in an uncomfortable position next time you sit down at
the beach to watch the sunset reflecting off all the discarded BPA
bottles floating in the water.
Plastics contain many toxins that industry wont tell us about
Its interesting that there is so much hype over only Bisphenol A, as there are a variety of toxins that are used in the manufacture of plastics (collectively these chemicals are known as phthalates or phthalate esters) which can cause harm to a broad range of organisms especially humans. Phthalates are essential to the manufacture of almost all plastics, it is the chemical that determines the degree of pliability of the plastic container. All phthalates are endocrine disruptors and cause harm by mimicking estrogen, causing male sterility, cancer, and other illnesses. Also all phthalates are bioaccumulative and thus once you ingest a certain amount, you cannot get rid of it, it stays in your body until you die, women can even pass on the chemicals to their infants during pregnancy and nursing.
There is even thought that plastics used in medical devices (such as IV bags) can cause harm to the patient based on toxic leaking from the plastic.
The problem is causing the steady rise in male infertility that we have seen over the past century, with the advent of plastics, the only way to completely alleviate the problem is to tell manufacturers to make plastics without phthalates (but this is more expensive).
Again right now the best bet is to go with the metal containers if possible.
Also many forms of wildlife are severely affected by pollution created in the manufacture of plastics (mainly effluent) and the plastic found in land fills. Please, even if you dont complain to the Senate, at least minimize your use of plastic products for the sake of compassion for nature and your fellow man.
Racket ?
Hope a plastic bottle that a greedy green missed collecting for a refund
on the beach finds a home in an uncomfortable position next time you
go to the beach to watch the sunset reflect off of the floating BPA bottles.
A Little more Info
- Polycarbonate is labeled #7
- Most of the flexible water bottles made from polyethelene tetrapthalate (PET, PETE, or HDPE ) labeled #1 or #2. I have seen no studies showing problems with these bottles or issues with refiling them if you keep them clean.
- Polycarbonate is used, of course ,in the hard clear plastic Nalgene bottles, but the cloudy Nalgene bottles are made of PET.
- You can find Polycarbonate lining many cans, in the carboys that many offices use for their water coolers, plastic utensils, many food storage containers and many items around the house that adults don't typically put in their mouths, but as the report indicates....
- The biggest issue is probably with baby products, as with most chemicals small children and infants are more sensitive to the effects, especially compounds like Bisphenol A, which are endocrine disruptors. That is they mimic human hormones that often act at barely measurable amounts to regulate our bodies, including the development of children. Check out ourstolenfuture.com for more details and the scientific findings.
- While Bisphenol A seems to remain in the human body a relatively short time, CDC's biomonitoring program found 93% of the people they studied had Bisphenol A in their urine samples. So there is a lot of it out there that is getting into our bodies. More here: http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/
The only racket is "convenience"
No one is "hellbent" on getting rid of plastic, that's a hyperbolic statement.
No one *is known to have* ever died from plastic, but it certainly appears that people are getting cancer from it.
The Cautionary Principle: until something new is shown to be safe, be wary of it.
I'm willing to wager that ALL plastics touching our food and beverages, --ESPECIALLY when subjected to heat-- are leaching toxins into us. Future testing may prove this out. Are you willing to wait until they do?
Plastic is practical, light, cheap... and likely universally toxic.
It's the price we pay for improving profits and for personal convenience...
Suggest sticking with historically tried & true materials: glass, metal, rock, wood...
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/76-bottles-of-water/
the Devil
beware of all plastic bottles, the Devil lives in them all! they are stamped with 666 on the bottom and cannot be recycled, the sky is falling and you all have too much time on your hands.
Bottles need love too.
I am thinking about starting a support group for unwanted plastic bottles.
Anyone interested?
Bottles? OCEAN!
Bozos, we dump TONS of waste into our rivers, streams and beautiful oceans every second and wonder WHY are all the fish sick and dying? WE are killing ourselves because all this waste we make does not vanish! Its just out of sight but we are drinking it and eating it and THAT is the real reason everyone is sick and there is so much cancer. It SO friggin obvious! Earth is a CLOSED SYSTEM and we have wrecked it. So now, we're toast. Too late. No more time. Have a nice day.
: )
how did this happen?
A week ago, anyone who would make a claim like this would immediately be bombarded with ad hominem attacks, be labelled a "kook" or be awarded a tin foil hat (for a small sample just read "what a racket" above). now, somehow this bit about plastics is news. somehow industry had to give the news media the ok to report on this. I first heard about this three years ago, and stopped using most plastic then. There are and have been a lot of good resources on the internet for information about which types of plastics have which chemicals (more than just BPA). The problem is much bigger than is being reported now. get off the couch, turn off the tv and start finding out what is going on in the world.
So, next time someone claims something contradictory to the mainstream propaganda you have been fed, think before you open your mouth and condemn. You may find out later, that they were right.
Do It Yourself
People aren't supposed to live like this - like little children dependant on their government and large companies to take care of every aspect of their lives while working menial pointless jobs until they are old and gray crammed into filthy cities with people they have nothing in common and usually hold utter contempt for....
People need to open books, figure out how to do things on their own. We have the technology now where anyone with a brain can build, produce, or construct virtually anything they want by themselves. Between a well stocked garage of tools, a CNC machine, and a computer you can solve just about any problem you have. Yes there is a major learning curve since none of us are taught what we actually need to know to be independant, free and well informed men and women in school - but it can be done.
Plastic comes from oil - you wouldn't drink oil so why the hell would you use it to hold something you DO drink. Try glass instead. STOP waiting for companies and governments to solve your problems for you - they have a pretty solid track record of not caring - human life is just another form of capital to them. If everyone starts doing things on their own - co.'s and govt's lose and disappear for good - impossible? I suggest that it is more possible than waking up one day to find corporations and governments finally doing what is best for society than what is best for themselves - human greed is ingrained into people by millions of years of evolution (or put there by the devil if you don't believe in evolution) and its not going anywhere. Try employing that greed and selfishness to protect yourselves, family, friends, and community.
Peace
I am sure all the bottles come from China!
They’ve positioning our babies for ages!!
China
positioning? four times? is that four baby positions?!? what is that about?
aluminum cans
yes, they do.
Glass and Steel
Nothing new bout this! News has come to become the main marketing strategy for companies desperate to sell their products! That plastic is harmful to humans has been confirmed by many studies. The best way is to use only glass and steel products.
The government needs to move faster in these things!
The government has know about these issues for over ten years and now the are finally starting to reconsider their position. Guess there wasn't a big enough fire under them to do what's right rather than thinking business first until now.
Vegetable steam bags.
There is a new convenience product on the market that I just love. Throw a bag of veggies in the microwave and in 3 minutes you have veggies ready to serve. No dirty pan to wash and I thought very healthy because no vitamins were being lost by boiling in water. These "plastic" bags get very hot. Do these plastic "baggies" contain this harmful chemical?
Let's start a new blog
We've lost the momentum. First couple of posts were helpful though....
You guys are crazy!
LOL you make me laugh, duh. Don't you know this shit is every where? Look at you computer, your clothes. You guys are chemical heads. Plastics and chemicals keep the Medical industry clean. That's probably the best contribution. Plastics kill or help us live? Both?
My tin foil hat
I just wear my tin foil hat and the evil corporations can't hurt me.
plastic baby bottles
Perhaps better cultural and governmental support for mothers choosing to nurse their babies for extended periods of time, say up to two or even three years would help. No bottles, no plastic chemical problem for infants and toddlers.
Keep things in perspective
The risks discussed in the article are hardly sufficient to justify an exodus from anything modern, or even from plastic bottles. They have been in use for generations and the average lifespan has been increasing, in spike of many other hazards to health. Clearly there is no need to panic.
We value life and health much more today than decades ago. I you went back 100 years in a time machine and told people that someday plastic bottles would solve a lot of problems with transportation, safety and cost, and would be lightweight and easy to carry on a stroll or hike, they would probably view it as an amazing improvement. If you then said that one day people using some types of the bottles would be found to "... have a greater risk of developing uterine fibroids, breast cancer, decreased sperm counts, and prostate cancer." and that the government was looking into it, they would probably say "fine, good, whatever" or something similar. Is it really necessary to invoke a giant conspiracy against the common man here?
We live in a high-tech world, and we take high-tech risks. We should seek to minimize those risks, and indeed we do, even though government inefficiency and corruption do slow down the process. I mean, it's reasonable to demand improvement in government procedures, but far too many people find it easier to condemn it absolutely, which is really not productive.
Health Crisis - (BPA) Plastic Bottles.
The health crisis in the world today is astonishing!! - between FAST LIFE , FAST PACE AND INDUSTRIALLY PROCESSED FOOD AND PRODUCTS. Most people has no choice with their lifestyle in today modern world, especially in our Industrialized countries. There are million of peoples are facing health hazard with all kind of things in our environment.
Nevertheless, we need to safeguard our own health by preventing toward better health. We have the right to choose better products and better food in order to avoid longterm health crisis. Taking these into consideration, we believe many of our health problems are a result of not the only most toxic products but also an industrally processed food in our industrialized countries.
Like million of peoples are sadly discovering, battling a chronic disease can steal your health, your mind, your life savings, your dignity and your future. But your dont have to be the victim. You can protect and prevent yourself from all kinds of diseases that might affect your health from using toxic products. If you've had enough of this health crisis, then this will be the most important thaughts that I ever revealed. Chances are, you wont hear about this anywhere else, because it isn't in the interest of the government and the company that you know about this.
They stand to lose millions of dollars in profits ..... Is it terrifying to caompanies to realize that this news would discovered. Here's what some leading scientist has to say about the root cause of health crisis. There's only sickness and one disease, and this one sickness, is due primarily to an inverted way way of living, thinking, and eating.Therefore, there can be only remedy and treatment, break the cycle of imbalance, thus allowing us to experience the true health we are all meant to have.
different plastics
#1 and #2 are different plastics. #1 is,PETE (polyethylene terephthalate), which has been shown to give off DEHA. Some studies show it is worse in new bottles, some say used. The EPA originally said it was bad, then they said it was ok. Anyones guess on how safe it is -- I avoid it. #2 plastic is high density polyethylene (HDPE), which appears safe in all studies. It is typically cloudy white -- think milk jug.
Many of the plastics out there are outgassing chemicals into food. It is especially worse if they are hot. And the chemicals are more soluble in fat than water, so if you are heating up a fatty food in your microwave, you're really causing issues.
Quick list of plastics:
1 -- PETE. Gives off DEHA.
2 -- HDPE. Appears to be ok.
3 -- PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Some food wraps. Water pipes, vinyl siding, many toys. Contains phthalates, which cause organ damage, especially so in infants. Damage is probably cumulative. Also contains vinyl chloride monomer, known carcinogen and toxin. And, when it is burned, it gives of dioxins.
4 -- LDPE (low density polyethylene). Appears to be OK.
5 -- PP (polypropylene). Appears to be OK.
6 -- PS (polystyrene). Plastic cutlery, CD cases, styrofoam. Gives off styrene and benzene; both suspected carcinogens. So buying your meat on styrofoam trays wrapped in PVC is a double whammy!
7 -- OTHER. This is the catch-all for any other plastic as well as something that has more than one plastic. Polycarbonates are in this group. Typical Nalgene bottles are made out of this (although, bowing to the wants of the consumer, they have recently started making bottles out of other, non-leaching plastics). #7 can be anything, and is not recyclable, so it should be viewed with caution.
Once again, heat aggravates everything. Cooking in questionable plastic or even leaving your water bottle in your car in the summer gets a lot more unwanted chemicals into your water.
So, ultimately it comes down to your choice. Personally, I now use a stainless steel water bottle. Not only does it last longer, it has no chemical leaching and it is ultimately recyclable. New Wave makes a reusable (up to 90 times) bottle made from corn that will biodegrade in your compost in under 3 months. (I haven't tried them so I can't say how good they are, but they get good reviews.) One problem with plastics is that they are so pervasive -- you just can't escape them. But I try to limit my exposure. And the less I use, the less that I have to recycle/throw away. Currently we are throwing away 10 billion (that's with a B) plastic bottles a year!
just my 3 cents worth.
Dark Plastics A Global Catastrophy
If you want a wake-up, first give up the snoose and hootch for a day,
so your nose regains its sense of smell, then get your head out of
the potato chip bag and skip lunch so your sense of smell gets
tuned to a "real life" pitch, then buy some plastic children toys at
WalMart, rip open the packs when you get in the car, and shove
your nose in. You'll immedialy understand why they call these
Chinese "dark plastics", like their "dark pet food" contaminated
with plastics, even knockoff pharmaceutical drugs, contaminated.
And for those who still claim no harm, no foul, hundreds of our
fellow citizens die of early horrible cancers working in the refinery
and plastics industry right here in the US. Think about the 1000's
or maybe 10,000's dying in China where there are no OSHA laws.
One the other other hand, when I was a kid we rode through the
clouds of DDT spray, and stuck styrene toys in our mouths, and
there's nothing ... twitch ... wrong ... spasm ... with ... hic ... me!
plastics exposure
I've been a manufacturer of plastic components for eleven years. A lot of machining of optical polycarbonate sheets. Probably several million parts, without special ventilation.
Plastics I don't worry about in daily casual contact are acrylic (PMMA), polyolefin, polycarbonate, PET, and teflons - such as PTFE and FEP. Most have been suspected of inducing susceptability to disorders at one time or another by a single or a few studies, and later exonerated.
Vinyl-containing materials I avoid, along with ABS.
HDPE and other polyethylenes seem pretty safe. But put filtered water in a LDPE gallon container, leave it in a warm place for a week, and you'll notice a distinct taste.
Common sense says avoid over-exposure to anything. Plastics can fill up landfills,
but save a lot of lives in hospitals. They are good and bad for us, like everything else.
Life will kill ya. Somehow, eventually.
Time to "Get Off The Bottle!"
Time toGet off the Bottle! - Refill and reuse with the best water on earth that I have found........It is Cheaper than bottled water, way healthier, six times more hydrating, FULL of natural Anti Oxidants and oxygen, and the machines last for 15 to 20 years! There is no need for bottled water........Endless supply right from your own tap, these filters take everything bad out and alter the water to it's natural state.
www.ReverseAgingWater.com
Profit
It's disturbing how almost nothing jars capitalists out of the profit modality. Nothing could be so offensive to their moral complex that it could compel them to switch it off for one minute.
Not even the deaths of their clientele, save for the negative impact the spending habits of the dead would have on their revenue.
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Cooking with Rubber Bands
Increasingly, one sees folks cooking things like heads of broccoli while leaving on the rubber band used to hold the stalks together. Another prevalent (scary) use of plastic/rubber are the high temp rubber bands around the legs & wings of store-cooked rotisserie chickens (instead of plain old cotton string). Our family discovered that the skin beneath such a rubber band (on the chicken) is very bitter. I wonder how much (and what??) you get considering you've got both water & fat to act as solvents for the rubber adjuncts, and its not diluted out -- its absorbed by the skin. Food preparers & packagers need guidance from people other than marketers looking to sell more/new convenience aids. We need people that question safety before extolling virtue.
Cooking with Rubber Bands
Increasingly, one sees folks cooking things like heads of broccoli while leaving on the rubber band used to hold the stalks together. Another prevalent (scary) use of plastic/rubber are the high temp rubber bands around the legs & wings of store-cooked rotisserie chickens (instead of plain old cotton string). Our family discovered that the skin beneath such a rubber band (on the chicken) is very bitter. I wonder how much (and what??) you get considering you've got both water & fat to act as solvents for the rubber adjuncts, and its not diluted out -- its absorbed by the skin. Food preparers & packagers need guidance from people other than marketers looking to sell more/new convenience aids. We need people that question safety before extolling virtue.
True, you can't always trust businesses, but...
Not every business knowingly endangers the public.There are many cases of a business knowing its product is unsafe or harmful -- tobacco, certain car models, etc. -- but if research scientists are just now finding out a chemical in plastics is dangerous, how was the bottle manufacturer to know any earlier? ESP?
It's how a business behaves *after* there is evidence that determines how much at fault it is. I for one find it very, very hard to believe that someone manufacturing baby bottles would knowingly include a poison in their product.
Corn based plastics and environmental issues
Does anybody know the level of toxicity in corn based plastics? As posed earlier, I wouldn't drink oil but I would eat corn. Cooking in corn oil (hot) doesn't seam to have too bad a sentiment attached to it. These plastics are also biodegradable. That doesn't make them healthy, of course, and perhaps what they break down into is worse for the environment distributed than a bottle is in one piece. I don't know, but I doubt it.
How many people are crying in this forum because of health effects known and publicized for years but they're just finding out about now? And why are they crying? They're crying because they've been using the products. Products with known (but unproven) health issues (risks) that they didn't care enough to research before deciding to use them for themselves or their families, including their infants. What would they base the decision on? As far as I can see the decision to purchase is based on price. I can't say for the decision not to research. Perhaps they would have missed Jerry Springer, or had to (yuck) read. After all, this can be inconvenient. So, to summarize, we have a lot of people who figured it was more convenient to not research and cheaper to buy -- the American dream.
News Flash -- our government doesn't demand truly long term studies. They basically check for quick acting toxins. The only long term studies are done on consumers, if you call the open market a study. Much should be said about prescription drugs at this point, but won't be. I won't take a prescription for the hot new drug on the market. It's easy. I tell my doctor no. Believe it or not, I get final say over what goes into my body. I get prescriptions for the hot new wonder drug of 15 years ago. Even then I'm a little cautious. The exception I make is antibiotics, but I do some research first, still.
How many people will whine here about the plastics they buy and drive when they could walk? Or when they could wait and combine trips? How many and how severe are the health detriments caused by unnecessary trips over and above those caused by necessary trips?
Additionally, how many drive like idiots to the same end? By idiot I mean when the light turns green you're suddenly in a race to the next red light. Fast acceleration and hard braking are harder on your car, less economical and worse for the environment. Translated for those who have a hard time with English as a first language: Hard driving costs you more on your quicker trip to the repair shop through your dirtier, unhealthier city. We'd all say we don't want that but 90% of drive like we do. I think your driving will hurt me more often and worse than my Naglene bottle will.
BTW, history shows that most who cry for how bad things are will cry for a while then stop without ever doing anything to change the situation they're crying about, even though steps are available and effective.
Here's a tissue, shut up.
COC's will replace all polycarbonates
Cyclic Olefin Copolymers are the next hot plastics. You heard it here first. All it takes are good political campaign smear tactics to scandalize a perfectly good plastic like polycarbonate. Then the new more expensive replacement moves in along with the trial lawyers. Remember the pathetic, antiscientific way that paranoid women and their lackey lawyers laid waste to the entire medical silicone industry???? The scientific concensus now is that was all bullllllllllllpie.
Botox is a cure for BPA toxicity. You heard it here first.
Is Obama behind all of this??
Glass, Glass, Glass!
Whenever possible, I try to use glass water bottles instead of plastic. I started using them about a year ago when I first started hearing about the chemicals in plastics. Here are some that I found http://www.aquasana.com/product_detail.php?product_id=45
not just baby bottles
BPA isn't just a concern in plastic bottles, but in canned foods (it's a liner used inside cans) and beverages, so, yes, there's more to think about.
It's all overhwelming, I agree. But it's about self-reliance and taking charge of our own lives.
That's why I started safeBABY at www.safebabynest.com as a resource for my friends and family. I'm do my best to cover safety and health issues, from pregnancy planning through childhood, and help mitigate the risks.
I have a few posts on the BPA issue, but please know, all plastics are a concern to some degree, particularly when they're used to heat foods. Check out www.safebabynest.com for some tips ...
Trust the Tit
Why on earth would you choose to feed your baby through a plastic container rather than from what you already have?
Oh good grief!
Oh geez, most of you people are nuts and will believe anything the news media will tell you. Plastics and components of plastics have been studied for YEAR and many studies have found no adverse affects on humans. So one study comes out and says that high levels of BPA in bodies can be harmful....HIGH LEVELS...the levels you and your baby are exposed to using plastic bottles is miniscule (ppb). Before you try and ban plastic, you better realize what consequences that will have on everyday life...look around you...it does MANY good things...just don't eat large amounts. Everything in moderation is fine....there are heavy metals in glass..and we all know what metals like lead can do to our bodies...but why isn't it a problem...because of the small amounts you are exposed to.
So, you all who are so upset about your government and big companies, give me a break...get in your big SUV, drive to your big house you can't afford,and leave science to the experts....not the activists!
baby bottles sippy cups etc.
i saw on tv either the today show or good morning america about this on 4-16-08. ive tried 2 find it but can,t. i saw that they said look 4 a triangle on the bottom of bottles etc. w/ a no. 7 & if u see this it has bisphenol A in it. could u PLEASE tell me what brand or brands that contain this stuff. i have 6 children, 9 grandbabies & 1 great grandson & 3 r on bottles & 1 drinks out of a sippy cup! i am very concerned! thank u very much.
bull
this is so stupid get a life
danger
i wonder if this is a cause for the increasing number of autism cases in america.
venomous rocks
Boy, there's a lot of "blame the victim" fools on here.
30 years ago, we didn't make bottles out of plastic. They were all glass. Then industry switched to plastic, because it was cheaper & more flexible. They didn't do any toxicity studies. They didn't do any long-term environmental impact research. They just *did it*, and now we're finding out "Hey, this stuff is poisonous & lasts for longer than stone & rock." ...but instead of blaming the people who made humongous, culture-altering changes without any caution whatsoever, you want to blame moms for worrying about their kids. Cute.
Sterility-causing chemicals in the water supply could end modern civilization right quicklike. Judging by posts on here, one can but hope.
The sad thing is, plastic so so ubiquitous, you almost *can't* opt to use only glass, can you?
it is shameful!
this is one of many things that are going on that is WRONG WRONG WRONG no one seems to care about people anymore, all it is about is MONEY... well, we were never meant to worship money or things. grrrrrrr
wake up folks!
want real change? VOTE FOR NADER IN 2008
this man actually cares about things of this nature!
http://www.votenader.org/
The Sky is Falling!
This is a great story to get people whipped into a frenzy, but let's have some additional facts presented. It is easy to skew this type of risk into a really great story and much more dificult to report it responsibly.
What is the cancer slope factor for BPA and other phenolics? What information is on EPA's Integrated Risk Information System? What is the concentration in various types of plastic bottles and how does that risk compare with the CSF or IRIS data?
It appears that the lowest observed adverse effect level for rats is 1,000 parts per million for BPA.
Let's not rely on media-generated science, I prefer scientifically based, peer reviewed and published studies from which to draw conclusions.
Not USA Today or the Today Show.
how about teflon
how teflon affect humans. some pots are made of teflon. some people cook food using these pots or use to sterilze baby bottles .
Plastic wraps and hot african food
I hope to get the word out to many immigrants who use plastic (saran) to wrap extremely hot starch-based foods. I am sure the chemicals in these products leach into the food ! It is an extremely common practice borne out of convenience. The wrap is used to neatly portion the food and it stays hot longer when wrapped. Some immigrants are exposed to these toxins on a daily basis.
Common Sense Alert
Most sensible people, when they smell something bad, don't eat it, drink it or use it. Most plastic smells really bad.
For those who scoff at science and proof....see if your senses still work. If you find they don't then perhaps you Should indeed be using plastics of all kinds....Darwin would approve.
Blaming the victims
The victims made themselves, or, worse yet, they were made by their parents. The industry didn't force people to use plastics, they provided plastics. Plastics were cheaper to produce and they passed much of that lower production cost on to the consumer as lower prices. People chose to save the money without knowing what they were getting. I certainly wouldn't want to order dinner that way. #1 12.99, #2 7.49, #3 17.99, #4 3.99, etc. Especially if I had a peanut allergy. So, Newt, who's really the fool: The person pointing blame or the one worthy of it?
Immigrants and tv dinners
I would say the biggest consumers of tv dinners are not immigrants and guess what , you actually have to place your frozen meal inside the microwave to "cook" it So which process could possibly leach more chemicals? Go figure. It might be more prudent to just advise peolple to use less plastics in hot foods and really it makes sense.
baking in plastic?
I just saw that the angel food cakes for sale at Safeway (ironic name) were in PETE 1 containers (polyethylene terepthalate). I was told they are baked in these plastic containers, and then are "fresh and ready for sale."
I don't know that this is a specific danger, but it doesn't seem like good idea... I have been trying to find out more.
Create Light Not Waste! Turn Your Old Water Bottle Into a Solar Lantern.
Hi Everyone!
I'm Rosalie from SolLight (www.sollight.com) and I just wanted to make a recommendation in case anyone is wondering about what they can do with their old water bottle, instead of throwing it away! :)
Thank you. Have a great weekend,
Rosalie @ SolLight (www.sollight.com)
DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR OLD POLYCARBONATE
WATER BOTTLE - TURN IT INTO A SOLAR LANTERN!
The last thing this planet needs is any more plastic in the landfills. But what do you do with your old polycarbonate water bottle (Nalgene or similar) that you don't want to use any more? Don't throw it away! With the incredibly handy LightCap200 you can turn your old (or new) bottle into the coolest home, deck, boat or camping lantern anywhere!
Just pull off the old cap and replace it with a safe, bright, environmentally-friendly solar-powered LED LightCap200 and you'll have light anywhere you want without wasteful batteries, dangerous, toxic fuel, or electric cords.
Put one on your picnic table, deck, out by the BBQ, kids playhouse, bedroom nightlight, car safety light, cockpit light on your boat, camper, tent or anywhere else. Simply fill your bottle with water (even colored water) for a safe lantern that won't run out of fuel or be a fire hazard. No candles to burn out, and when your bottle is filled with water it won't tip over if the wind comes up.
The built-in light sensor automatically turns the light on whenever it gets dark, and off when there's enough light for charging. Or you can click the water-tight switch and turn it off manually. It weights only 2.6oz and you can even use it as a flashlight. The four super-bright, white LEDs provide lots of light without giving off any heat or danger of chemicals in your water.
By adding a LightCap200 cap to your bottle you're not only creating a useful item, you're helping the environment. You can even use your bottle to store things: trail snacks, dog treats, fire starting supplies, first aid kit-anything you want to keep safe, floating and dry. With the LightCap200 on top, you've always got a useful emergency light.
The LightCap200 is just $19.95 and will last for many years of continuous use. They make a great gift and are available at many fine outdoor stores as well as at our website: www.sollight.com
So what else does the Gov't promote as safe that will be declared dangerous next year?
I remember researching this issue a year ago and the Gov't was upholding the safety of polycarbonate bottles then. Now that seems to be reversing. On another matter...they still say that the vaccines and the quantities we give young infants are safe. So when will they reverse themselves on that and a host of other things they stand behind currently?
Re-cycling plastic bottles
For watering your garden without water evaporation (save our valuable water): poke loads of holes in Bottles, put underground with just cap/lid protruding, drill hole in cap (lid), insert black pva pipe into hole, connect this small, thin pipe to larger black pipe that runs the length of your area/garden veggie patch, watever.
Or just manually fill the bottles, you would use a fraction of the water, & recycle plastic!
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Money!
I wish these companies who we trust to put out safe produces had to reimburse everyone with these products!! The amount of money we are out of because of this is terrible, especially when we've just come out of a hard winter in the Midwest and are dealing with a very difficult economic situation. It's very disturbing to me how these big companies just keep making money and products while we, the public, are getting poorer by the second and poisoning us and our children in the progress.
Apr 16, 2008 18:04:52 PM [permalink] [report comment]