How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products

'Plastic' should probably be ranked as one of the hottest keywords in 2019 and most likely for many years to come, but not for the benefit but the negative consequences that bring it to health. humans as well as the living environment on the planet.

By now, almost everyone knows that our earth is flooded with asphalt. Plastic is present in every kitchen, market, supermarket, lane, deeply ingrained in the daily life of billions of people on the planet. But the journey has not stopped there, plastic waste appears on every meter of the sidewalk, in every forest, on the rivers, covering the oceans and even in the outer space . all all thanks to the "ingenuity" of humans.

How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products Picture 1 Plastic is ubiquitous and becomes an integral part of modern life

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Plastic and its connection to human health

However, in this article, we will not discuss much about the harmful effects of plastic waste on the earth's environment, but instead, let's discuss the chemicals in plastic preparations and the dangers. Their risk to human health. A newly published study could cause even the most 'stubborn' people to rethink the level and habits of their plastic products.

A team of scientists from Norway has been working on a long list of everyday items made of plastic - from small things like yogurt mugs and bath sponges. to large plastic trays and plates. Combining shows that up to three-quarters of the products surveyed contain toxic chemicals, which can seriously harm human health.

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How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products Picture 2 Plastic contains many chemicals that can seriously harm human health.

"The problem is that plastic is a compound made up of a series of complex chemicals, so we often don't know the exact 'identity' of substances and their content in the product. plastics that we use. "For most of the thousands of chemicals used to make plastics, we have absolutely no way of knowing whether all of them are safe or not. This is because it is extremely difficult to thoroughly monitor all the components that make up the plastic. In many cases, even manufacturers cannot specify the chemical composition of their products. On the other hand, even if they know it well, they are not forced to disclose this information, '' said Professor Martin Wagner, a biologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who co-authored the study. said in a statement.

Yes, it is not easy to isolate and isolate specific chemicals in plastics. In fact, there are more than 5,000 different types of resins in common use around the world, with tens of thousands of separate chemicals being used to produce them. Currently, researchers only know detailed information on more than 4,000 types of chemicals used in packaging, trays, plastic food containers, while the actual number of chemicals is considered large. more.

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How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products Picture 3 Three-quarters of plastic products contain toxic chemicals that can seriously harm human health.

In a scientific paper published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the scientists found more than 1,400 different chemicals that exist in some of the resins they randomly selected for research, but now Only the identity, characteristics and chemical properties of 260 of them could be identified - a very large difference.

However, the team also found that 60% of plastic products (analyzed) had a common toxicity; 40% can produce oxidative stress, which is thought to be closely related to cancer, diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases; and 30% can cause serious damage to the endocrine system (related to cancer and developmental problems).

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Identify some harmful plastics

During the study, Professor Martin Wagner and colleagues discovered that the chemicals in polyvinyl chloride (PVC, usually marked as 3 in the recycling code) and polyurethane (PUR) were the most toxic. PVC (often used as food wrap) when molten can create compounds that destroy hormones, cause cancer as well as many other dangerous diseases.

Meanwhile, polyethylene terephthalate (PET, recycling code 1, commonly used as a container for liquid foods) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE, recycling code 2, are often used to make resistant products). Good impact, less deformed, scratched, especially able to withstand temperatures of 120 degrees C for a short time or 110 degrees C for a long time) is considered less toxic.

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How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products Picture 4 PVC is extremely toxic plastic, so it is rarely used as household goods, food containers

'The chemicals in plastic can be harmful during use or when misused. Although in-depth studies on the true harms of plastics and their link to some common diseases in the modern world have yet to be clearly delineated in many cases, chemicals The toxic substance should not have been in the plastic in the first place, "Professor Wagner said.

Yes, the problem is that we can identify some of the problematic plastics and need to avoid regular use, but testing shows that the toxicity problems in plastics are very wide. , can be found in almost all plastics. In other words, all plastics are toxic in some way and do not necessarily cause direct harm to human health.

As such, it is clear that the first measure to be taken is to reduce overall plastic use. In particular, efforts should be made to minimize the products made of PVC (labeled with recycling code number 3) and plastics labeled with recycling code number 7, because it is not clear that they are made from What kind of plastic, how hazardous compounds it is.

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How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products Picture 5 Recycling codes are often printed on plastic products

Plastic grade 7 is the most toxic and is thought to be closely related to infertility, diabetes and cancer. However, they are still commonly used in everyday items, even for food containers, such as large water jugs, chili sauce jars, instant food containers, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and many other household items.

To learn more about common commonly used plastics according to recycling codes and their harms, please refer to the following article: 'What do the symbols on the bottom of plastic bottles mean?'.

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Minimize harm from plastic

Having said that, limiting the use of plastic products in general is probably the best way to avoid exposure to hazardous substances because in modern life, it is difficult to completely eliminate this useful material. Try to take some of the following measures to prevent the harmful effects of plastic on the body:

Do not reuse disposable plastic such as mineral water bottles, plastic straws . The use of mineral water bottles and soft drinks as household containers is a saving habit of many people. , but the long-term harm that employment does to the body will be far greater than the economic gain.

Limit the use of ready-to-eat foods, food and drinks stored in plastic trays and plastic bottles.

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How dangerous chemicals are in plastic consumer products Picture 6 Use glass containers to preserve food instead of plastic containers

Limit food storage in plastic containers. Many families have a habit of putting leftovers in plastic containers to store in the fridge, which will cause chemicals to stop contaminating food, especially for greasy, fatty foods. , or acidic, highly alkaline. Instead, use food containers made of stainless steel, glass or porcelain.

Do not heat plastic, restricting placing hot foods directly on plastic trays and especially plastic bags. Even plastic items stored in cars in the heat can release toxic chemicals.