Plastic (Not) Fantastic

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a



Who couldn't love the shatterless, colorful, cheap, washable plastic bottles and other products available on the market today. 'Plastics make it possible' as we're heard from hospitals and other organizations which daily rely on the affordable and durability which plastic products provide. But is the bond we have formed to plastic products actually killing us? Recent studies show that a common chemical found in most plastics called Bisphenol A (BPA), can promote human breast cancer cell growth. BPA is a compound which mimics estrogen, the natural female hormones. These studies have brought up many questions about the safety of plastics.



Traces of BPA were found in nearly all urin samples taken by the U.S. Centers for disease Control (CDC) these samples showed levels ranging from 33 to 80 per kilogram of body weight in any given day, levels 1,000 times lower than the 50 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day considered safe by the EPA, E.U. and the EFSA. Children and teenagers have higher levels of BPA in their systems than adults. The chemicals does not stay more than a few days in a persons system but may have long term effects if exposed on a regular basis. Animals which have become ill due to the levels of BPA are lower than levels in humans. This is concerning to many scientists because most baby bottles and cans which contain baby formula are made with BPA. The fear is that children and infants could be at risk and not yet show signs of illness. Rats with traces of BPA have been linked to increased breast and prostate cancer, altered menstral cycles and diabetes in rats which were still developing.

In spite of all these shocking laboratory conclusions the proof is not frightening enough to stop the manufacture of plastics made with BPA. Due to their low price, appealing looks, and convenient maintenance no one wants to give up plastics unless it is absolutely necessary.



Opinion:

This article, although hard to follow at times, gets me thinking about the world we live in. Will the children being born suffer in later years because they drank their baby formula from a contaminated bottle. The BPA is releases much faster when the temperature is warm which means babies that drink warm formula are at a higher risk. I'm not sure if this has any truth to it but it seems that in the past few years it is much more difficult for women to conceive a baby. Could this be a result of the excessive use of plastics in the U.S.? Breast cancer is also shockingly common these days, could BPA be a link? There are so many wonderful advanced in technology that have saved our culture from countless diseases and epidemics, yet are we also creating health issues because of all the new technology? TV, processed food, plastics, computers, vaccines, "safe sex", and abortion are all things which were not around (or this advanced) 200 hundred years ago. How beneficial are they to our physical and mental health? How much further will we go? And what price are we willing to pay for our "new and improved developments"? SO, my fellow classmates, PLEASE take care of yourselves and don't put your plastics in the microwave. Thanks for reading. Sorry for being in a dramatic mood.