Plastics

Cancer ravages our world virtually unchecked, although advances are being made.  I have not been found with cancer myself, but it is in my family history and some of my family members have suffered from it.  There are rumors all the time about some possible causes of it, but nothing we hear seems to make a difference.  I pray this will:

Plastic.  We all know how bad it is for the environment - environmentalists have been lobbying that for years.  Now scientists are telling us that it's a cause of cancer.  Girls, do not drink water from plastic water bottles you left in the car!  It has been speculated that heated or frozen plastic releases chemicals that are very, very bad for us and have caused breast cancer.  It's not worth the risk.

http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/plastichealtheffects.html/

This link lists plastics, products made from those plastics, and the adverse effects on health these plastics can have.

You've probably already heard about this issue, and maybe you're wondering, "How much of this is true?  Is it a serious issue?"  Well, yes and no.  Personally, I think that something that could contribute to cancer, and probably is every day, should be studied even more closely to find a safer alternative.  However, these things are tested.  If something says "microwave safe", it probably is.  This phrase means more than "won't melt, break, or crack in the microwave".  Refer to the following link.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml
This article seems to say that there is basically nothing to worrying about whatsoever.  On the other hand, a similarly comprehensive article allows for the opposing conclusion.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/winter-2010/winter10plastics.html

So where are we after we've skimmed over these articles?  More lost than we were before, if a little less ignorant about the composition of plastics.  Articles written to clear up the confusion about plastic appear to actually add to it more than ever.  They contradict other articles and even themselves at times.

Negative:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-dangers-of-plastic.html

This article was the first I came across to mention that some speculate that chemicals in plastics are causing things like ADHD and puberty problems.  Can I admit that I almost sighed in relief to finally hear a theory for why these problems are apparently increasing?

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/consumer-protection/plastic-safety-heat-food

Notes as I read:

- some fascinating and important facts on page 3 (no opinions, no speculation, just facts)

- pg 4: some startling, but critical, test results; discusses physical development

- pg 5: opinions, observations, and concerns by those who have conducted these tests (mostly negative)

- pg 5 also gives hints on how to detect which plastic containers contain the plastic chemicals in question, as well as what the author of the article now does just to be on the safe side

- how Good Housekeeping tested for these chemicals in plastic storage containers and bags on page 6

This last link was the most comprehensive article I found, and I liked it a great deal.  It outlined the concerns, why they are concerns, and what has been done to test the concerns.

After I have read these articles, I am convinced that you and I should limit our plastic exposure wherever practical, in order to be on the safe side.  Not to do so would be like dropping a hammer on your toes just because you're not sure they'll break.

I hope that these offending chemicals in plastics are indeed the cause of many of the proposed problems so that we can finally take steps to eliminate these problems.  On the other hand, what can be done with all the offensive plastic that is already doing so much harm?  This goes beyond our personal health in the future, but also refers to the plastic which is swimming in the water, so to speak, and contaminating the environment around us.  One last issue of interest is whether these chemicals, once leaked into the environment, are affecting the plants, particularly the ones we eat.  Is it possible we are ingesting them indirectly as well as directly?

~Meggy