Don’t fall victim to plastic leaching from items

At doses up to more than 70,000 times the usual human exposure, BPA caused no health effects, no changes in body weight, effects on hormone levels, or changes in reproductive health or function

Don’t fall victim to plastic leaching from items



Bottled water sold in Spain is practically free of constituents given off by plastic packaging or glass bottle lids. They are only detected in some cases, although in quantities much lower than limits found harmful for health. This was revealed by the analysis of more than 130 types of mineral water by researchers at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research of the Spanish National Research Council.

The scientists focused on those constituents which can be transmitted from the plastic or glass bottles to the water. Specifically, they analyzed five types of phthalates (esters of phthalic acid), diethyylhexyl adipate (DEHA), octylphenol, nonylphenol, and bisphenol A (BPA). These substances are common in packaging manufacturing, but can have toxic effects on reproductive organs and the endocrine system if they exceed limits set by legislation on plastic materials in contact with food. (1) The samples were taken just after packaging in bottling plants and after having been stored for one year to assess whether there had been any migration of plastic constituents or additives during this period. Out of a total of 6,516 values, only 5.6% tested positive. The most commonly appearing constituents were DEHP of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate relating to caps on glass bottles, and BPA,  linked to polycarbonate packaging. However, concentrations were insignificant and much lower than the maximum limits for total daily intake (TDI). For example, in the case of DEHP, 231 liters of water would have to be drunk per day to reach the limit set by legislation or 124 liters if dealing with BPA. (1)

“The conclusions of the study indicate that both the packaging, whether it be plastic or glass, and the bottled water are completely safe for health and comply with prevailing legislation,” stressed co-author Silvia Lacorte. She also insisted the possibility of developing health problems due to their ingestion is non-existent. (2)

Yet plastics are an ogre to many folks. Much research says people shouldn’t be concerned. Let’s look at some of the recent literature.

BPA (Bisphenol A) is the building block of plastics known as polycarbonates. Activists claim it is a ‘gender bender’ that mimics the female hormone estrogen. To quote Margaret Wente, a noted Canadian journalist, “Activists have warned that BPA in plastic water bottles is associated with cancer, diabetes, man-boobs, reduced sperm counts, shrunken testicles, early onset puberty and obesity.” She goes on to explain, “A mountain of evidence has been thoroughly evaluated by regulators, scientists and expert panels in Japan, Australia, the European Union, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. None found any risk. The World Health Organization and the US FDA have weighed in, too. All have rejected the environmentalists’ claims. Yet, a vocal and concerted effort continues to scare parents and the public into thinking they are being poisoned.” (3)

Dr. Earl Gray of the EPA conducted a study on the effects of BPA on rats. He fed the rats up to 4,000 times the highest dose of BPA than the average human might be exposed to and found it had absolutely no adverse effects on the animals. Professor Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council’s Center for Reproductive Biology in Edinburgh states, “The results [of the study] are unequivocal and robust and are based on a valid and rational scientific foundation.” Sharpe is one of Britain’s leading specialists in endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment. (4)

Another study found that in a sensitive rat model, at doses up to more than 70,000 times the usual human exposure, BPA caused no health effects—that is, no changes in body weight, effects on hormone levels, or changes in reproductive health or function. Only at the two highest doses, which were millions of times higher than average human exposure, did researchers see any effects similar to those produced by estrogen (as expected). At lower doses, BPA did not produce effects in the evaluated endpoints that differ from normal background biological variation. (5)

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report stated that phthalates are metabolized and excreted quickly and do not accumulate in the body. This report echoed the findings of 2004 and 2010 by the Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University School of Medicine showing no adverse effects in organ or sexual functioning in adolescent children exposed to phthalates. (6) Another study found that even high exposure levels have shown no effects on the genital development of marmosets—let alone humans. (7)

Regarding plastic toys, Elizabeth Whelan notes, “Parents should focus their concerns on real and proven risks. Here in the United States, the leading cause of death among children is motor vehicle-related accidents—many of which can be prevented. In 2009 alone, nearly 1,538 kids died in car-related accidents, averaging around four deaths a day. But what about toy-related deaths? In fact, the number of toy-related deaths in 2009 was 12: that number was actually cut in half from 2007 and 2008. These tragic deaths were in no way related to chemicals, however, they were most likely caused by choking.” (8)

One last chemical, DEHA is another plasticizer used in the manufacture of items ranging from toys to shower curtains. It shows up in trace amounts everywhere. You can find it in food, clothing and water. As Joe Schwarcz reports, “We know this because the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research studied this issue extensively. All sorts of water samples that had never been in contact with any plastic bottle showed traces of DEHA! Whether the samples came from plastic bottles or glass bottles, they contained the inconsequential amount of about 0.01 to 0.05 parts per billion (ppb). The World Health Organization has set a maximum of 80 ppb for DEHA in drinking water, so plastic bottles are simply not an issue here.” (9)

By Jack Dini

References

Albert Guart et al., “Effect of bottling and storage on the migration of plastic constituents in Spanish bottled waters,” Food Chemistry, 156, 73, August 1, 2014
“Remember all those greenie weenie concerns about plastic leaching from bottles?”, junkscience.com, August 23, 2014
Margaret Wente, “Does BPA give you the willies? It shouldn’t,” Globe and Mail, November 9, 2009
Steve Connor, “Scientists declare war over BPA,” The Independent, April 13, 2010
K. Barry Delclos et al., “Toxicity evaluation of bisphenol A administered by gavage to Sprague- Dawley rats from gustation day 6 through postnatal day 90,” ToxSci Advance Access, February 4, 2014
“National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 2014
Jon Entine, “Controversial phthalate plasticizer found safe for children’s toys, confounding activists,” science20.com/jon, October 9, 2012
Elizabeth M. Whelan, “Don’t fall victim to the hysteria over plastic toys,” acsh.org/news, December 9, 2010
Joe Schwarcz, Let Them Eat Flax, (Toronto, Canada, ECW Press, 2005), 156