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Dangerous plastic lies in wait for a person almost everywhere. Not all manufacturers of products of this kind are conscientious about observing technological aspects, which in the future makes improperly manufactured products a source of allergies, more severe pathologies for humans and animals.
The health threat here lies in the fact that, along with non-natural chemical elements that can provoke individual intolerance, problem products contain toxins. When in contact with the skin, they freely penetrate the human body, or saturate the surrounding space, food, water.
Manufacturers are very fond of this newest chemical product for its low cost, which allows them to make good money. Especially if you cheat and underestimate the performance indicators by releasing low-quality products contrary to instructions from regulatory authorities. So why is plastic dangerous if in certain countries activists are asking to stop producing some of its varieties?
According to scientific research, the presented material affects the internal organs in the process of accumulation of toxins in their cells, getting there not only with food, or through the skin. Some toxins are able to settle in the organs of the respiratory system when poisoned air is inhaled. The minimum dose for a weakened body may be enough to start an asthmatic attack, even if the victim was not predisposed to such a pathology. What can we say about poisoning on an ongoing basis, because chronic intoxication for a person can even become the primary source of a malignant neoplasm of an oncological nature.
The most common and at the same time harmful components of plastic are phthalate and bisphenol-A. In industry, they are used to give the final product increased strength or elasticity. But for all living things, they work as pseudohormones, completely knocking down the usual hormonal background, forcing the thyroid gland to get out of its natural mode of functioning.
Bisphenone-A, which in the international classification is called Bispehol-A, is a component of synthetic origin, which is actively used not only to create plastic products, but also rubber. According to a recent study, in 95% of cases of urine donation in patients, this substance is found in the composition of urine. As soon as bisphenol-A enters the body, it immediately begins to behave like estrogen, the female hormone.
Phthalate belongs to a group of industrial chemicals that, when ingested, acts like testosterone, a male hormone. Both types of pseudohormones, even in minimal amounts, begin destructive activity, which leads to:
- decrease in the strength of immunity;
- irreversible processes in the brain;
- disorders of the functioning of the liver;
- destabilization of the work of the heart muscle, blood vessels;
- increased risk of developing diabetes;
- unnatural effect on puberty.
But most importantly, they are considered one of the main culprits of the sharp increase in the number of cancer patients around the world. Their ingestion of fish, which is then served to the table, has a similar effect.
You should be careful even with products that have the mark “BPA free”. It is likely that instead of bisphenol-A, the developers placed an even more dangerous component in the composition – bisphenol C.
Classification of plastic and plastic
In order to protect yourself from the harmful effects of various plastic objects, it is not necessary to memorize all their varieties. You can use a simplified table of characteristics.
Information about what type of material was used in each case is usually printed on the back of the item.
| Name | Features |
|---|---|
| 1 PET | Considered safe, but there is some evidence that the component allows the migration of metallic elements |
| 2 HDPE | High-density polyethylene is classified as a low-hazard substance, but even if it is systematically ingested, it can provoke the washing out of components, shifting the natural hormonal background in some cases |
| 3 PVC | It is a dangerous representative, as it includes a variety of phthalate, recognized as a toxin |
| 4 LDPE | Low density polyethylene meets the grade of low hazard plastic |
| 5 PP | The most optimal option, because it is polypropylene that is considered the safest |
| 6 PS | Polystyrene, which is popularly called polystyrene, belongs to the group of especially dangerous toxins, since it is styrene that is recognized as the causative agent of cancer. |
Separately, the seventh group, which is called the “pig in a poke”, is considered, because it is these representatives who behave in the body in the most unpredictable way. Manufacturers manage to include mixtures of all six of these chemicals and even BPA additives in various household items, and some dishonest manufacturers hide life-threatening compounds in thermoses.
In recent years, doctors are increasingly saying that even relatively safe types of plastics are best avoided if it is possible to replace them with glass, wood, metal, and paper.
Rules for helping those who care about health
The best advice is to avoid buying food or water in plastic bottles. This is beneficial not only for humans, but also for the environment. Of course, glass bottles will not be particularly convenient, so doctors advise using stainless flasks when collecting water before leaving the house.
The next point of pollution prevention is the refusal to use plastic bags. Instead, you should use parchment, and as the main bag for going to the market, to the supermarket, you should use special eco-bags. They are sewn on the basis of strong fabric, burlap, and other safe materials. And if necessary, the bag can always be washed.
Plastic, disposable tableware deserves special attention. Even food containers, which are made from relatively safe materials, fell into the risk category. If their surface is damaged by mechanical influence, cracks, chips, and other microtraumas are formed, which allows the release of harmful components during prolonged operation.
Now many manufacturers offer practical metal or beautiful glass bowl sets that are easy to take with you to work just to heat up food in the microwave. But plastic containers, on which it is written that they can be put in the microwave, still should not be subjected once again to the negative influence of temperature fluctuations.
It is believed that when heated, the rate of flow of chemicals into food increases significantly. It is not for nothing that even in cafes with a “fast cooking” mode, the administration refuses to use plastic cups, preferring paper dishes. Otherwise, with each intake of hot tea, the body will “saturate” with a new portion of bisphenol-A, not to mention the fact that the drink will spoil the characteristic phenolic smell.
The dangers of plastic for children
According to studies conducted on the quality of baby bottles, it turned out that a significant part of them contained especially dangerous substances that act as pseudohormones. With their constant use in babies, the risk of developing:
- cancer;
- hyperactivity;
- obesity;
- early onset of puberty.
In order not to spoil the baby’s immunity from a very early age, experts advise parents to throw away all plastic bottles, even well-known brands, without regret. The latter can indeed be safe, but with frequent washing, temperature changes, mechanical damage, they lose their safe integrity.
Instead of polycarbonate containers, preference should be given to polypropylene bottles, and even better – glass with a neutral environment.
Also, do not heat pre-prepared food for babies in this kind of dishes, using a ceramic, glass container to warm up. Separately, you will have to spend time searching for infant formulas that supply their products in containers that are far from safe.
The situation with the distribution of hazardous plastic products is so serious that some countries have begun issuing decrees to legally prohibit the manufacture and subsequent distribution of products for children that contain hazardous chemicals. Among them was Canada.
Most of the major manufacturers immediately heeded the voice of concerned parents, adding new data like “0% BPA” to the labeling of baby bottles and other utensils.
In many countries of the former USSR, the issue of using bisphenol-A at the legislative level is not yet regulated in any way, so moms and dads have to independently seek out information about a future acquisition. Problems are added by the fact that not always the necessary information can be found on the packaging.
And if we are talking about a fake, or products from an unscrupulous manufacturer, then there is no need to rely on the honesty of the manufacturer at all.
Against this background, it becomes clear that plastic, which is labeled PVC, is not the best choice for using such raw materials when creating household items, dishes, even for adults, to say nothing of newborns. It is also recommended to bypass things where there is a PS mark.
But even if the buyer managed to find products without mentioning all the listed harmful substances, it is worthwhile to additionally clarify whether there is styrene or chlorine, which provoke many other pathologies that threaten health.
If for some reason it is impossible to completely eliminate plastic dishes, then you should at least get rid of the one that has already been damaged due to frequent use. Each new crack increases the rate of entry of toxins into the body.