Above: petrochem plant in Brazil bycopyright © 1985 Jim Pickerell (http://www.cgstock.com/3523)
Recently some pets were dying from a plastic industry chemical in some brands of pet food.
The culprit was melamine, a component of plastic kitchen ware and fertilizers. Lets open our eyes to what else is out there in our environment. The pets died quickly, but we might be dying more slowly....not to scare you, just to make you aware. To be updated occasionally.
Are Plastic Food and Beverage Containers Safe?
The answer is "no" they haven't been proven safe. This article details the reasons why
they are unsafe...with emphasis on phthalates in the chemical family known sometimes
as EDC's or endocrine disrupting chemicals.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Plastic-Food-and-Beverage-Containers-Safe?&id=57347
Tox Town
An introduction to toxic chemicals and environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places.
http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemical.php?name=phthalates
Adverse Effects of Plastics
In addition to creating safety problems during production, many chemical additives that give plastic products desirable performance properties also have negative environmental and human health effects. These effects include
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Direct toxicity, as in the cases of lead, cadmium, and mercury
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Carcinogens, as in the case of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
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Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, immune system supression and developmental problems in children.
http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/plastichealtheffects.html
The Bisphenol-A Debate: A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans
Also known as BPA, this is also in the EDC family of chemicals...
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa
Endocrine Disruptors
http://www.greenfacts.org/endocrine-disruptors/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor
Chemicals in our blood?
How about teflon components, also called "C8"?
http://www.mercola.com/article/teflon
Petroflourochemicals (PFCs)
1 comments:
Thanks Jack for this great information!
This is common knowledge in the medical community although they don't pass that information along to the patient. IV fluid bags must have a new "kit" (tubing)installed each time fluid is given. This is usually daily regardless of whether it is IV or SubQ. The toxin that leaches from the plastic tubing into the fluid is lethal when injected into the blood stream or under the skin. The requirements are the same for both humans and pets. It is the same reason that some softer plastic bottles give water a nasty taste after a day or so. It is the reason that filtered water is bottled in hard plastic. Note, the softer plastic dog cantines and water bottles are not safe. There is a simple test if you want to know if the plastic container you have is okay. Leave water in it for 24 hours then taste it. If it has a plastic taste, refill the water. It's best to refill a water bottle immediately before using it, chilling the water in some other container first.
So, for the $20 question, do you cook with Teflon Jack? Given my penchant for burning things, I have a hard time imagining cooking without it. But, if it is that toxic, I will be happy to break the habit! What is more carcinogenic, Teflon or charred meat?
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