Many plastics have been shown to have serious health consequences.
Toxic substances are emitted or leeched during production, use
and disposal of most plastics. Listed below are numerous studies,
articles, and links to information on the toxic consequences
of plastic.
Please see www.mindfully.org
for more information on toxicity
Right:
Are you unknowingly ingesting plastic molecules by using plastic
food and beverage containers? 5
General
Information:
Information
on Toxic Migration and Plastics. From Mothers and Others
Magazine.
Group seeks
to change how phthalates are measured (2002)
Medical plastics
pose health risk to some (USA TODAY 2002)
PLASTICS
MAKE IT POSSIBLE: Commentary on the APC's Sixth Basic
Food Group, by Paul Gottlich
DON'T BUY PLASTICS:
to plasticcommentary with thorough information regarding
toxic additives
Toxics in
the Environment:
Plastic
Resin Pellets as a Transport Medium for Toxic Chemicals in the
Marine Environment - (Abstract) Environ. Sci. Technol.
2001
Plastic is Drastic:
World's Largest 'Landfill' is in the Middle of the Ocean
CAPT. CHARLES MOORE / Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF)
1nov02
Plastic Invades
Ocean KGO-TV 12nov02
Background
Health/ Toxicity information: The Precautionary
Principle. A scientific case for using precaution in the
case of potentially harmful products.
A Precautionary
Primer. Nancy Myers and Carolyn Raffensperger (Yes! magazine
Fall 2001)
What
are Endocrine Disrupters? By Paul Gottlich
PET: Polyethylene
Terephthalate Migration and Toxicity Scientific report
on the potential toxic migration of plastics into their contents,
for example, a water bottle.
Study of
the migration of acetaldehyde from PET bottles into soft
drinks containing carbonic acid. Zeitschrift für
Lebensmittel Untersuchung und Forschung 191:286-289 1990
IN GERMAN/DEUTSCH!
HDPE: High-Density
(low-pressure) Polyethylene Scientific study and
data on the properties of HDPEand toxicity
PVC
PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride has many harmful environmental
effects. PVC is used as plumbing pipe, shrink wrap, outdoor
furniture, water bottles, salad dressing bottles and liquid
detergent containers. Greenpeace has been working to eliminate
the production of PVC because its manufacturing processes consume
approximately 30% of the chlorine used in industrial processes
and releases many other toxic chemicals, some of which are accumulate
in the body. Recycling groups are concerned about PVC because
a small amount can severely contaminate large loads of PET plastic.
PVC strongly resembles PET. If PVC is accidentally incorporated
in a load of material being processed for recycling, a release
of potentially toxic compounds can occur. Disposal of PVC also
presents problems. PVC is widely used for medical purposes.
Medical waste is usually incinerated to dispose of it. The incineration
of PVC can cause the release of dioxin, which is a carcinogen.
Why the Precautionary
Principle? A Meditation on Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and
the Breasts of Mothers Sandra Steingraber
PVC
A Health Hazard From Production through Disposal Paul
Goettlich, Berkeley Plastics Task Force 25oct01 DRAFT
Vinyl Chloride KNOWN TO BE
A HUMAN CARCINOGEN NINTH REPORT ON CARCINOGENSCARCINOGENICITY
First Listed in the First Annual Report on Carcinogens EHIS
9th Report on Carcinogens Revised January 2001
How They Found the Vinyl-Cancer
Link Chemical Week 17jul74
Vinyl
Chloride Monomer Emissions From The Polyvinyl Chloride Processing
Industries. Report to EPA May75 76086-11
Let's
conduct an experiment using your plastic food wrap.
Japan Offspring Fund (JOF) Monthly Newsletter n.117 &
118 Feb99-- Simple
experiment allows you to determine PVC resin in food packaging
Is that PVC Your
child is playing with?
A Toy Shopper's Checklist PVC-free
Pamela Lundquist / The Green Guide Jun00
PVC Soft PVC Toys, plastic food wrap & some
medical devices - Dangerously Toxic - Rachel's Environment
& Health Weekly 18jun98
PVC
for Dinner?
SEVENT GRADE STUDENT
FINDS CARCINOGEN IN PLASTIC FOOD WRAP Aug 4, 2002.
HUHTAMAKI
BECOMES FIRST FOODSERVICE MANUFACTURER TO OFFER PROCESSED
CHLORINE FREE PACKAGING
PVC
in the Health Industry
FDA
Warns Hospitals of DEHP Exposure Chemical Week July
24, 2002 The Food and Drug Administration urges hospitals
to limit use of PVC products in treating newborn children,
activists say they aren't limiting enough.
PVC
on the Job
PVC
workers & increased testicular cancer Testicular
cancer and occupational exposures with a focus on xenoestrogens
in polyvinyl chloride plastics. Ohlson, C., Hardell,
L., 2000.
PVC
and Icineration
PVC
role in dioxin from Burn Barrels - Evaluation of Emissions
from the Open Burning of Household Waste In Barrels -
Report No. EPA-600/R-97-134a. Nov97
POLYSTYRENE:
The Stench of Plastic It's
a Styrene World The Ecologist v.31, n.9 Nov01
Hormone-Disrupting
Toxin Found in Polystyrene Containers Kyodo Tokyo
27apr98
Toxicology of Styrene Synonyms. Cinnamene;
Cinnamol; Ethylbenzene; Phenylethylene; Styrol; Styrolene;
Vinyl benzene.
Quantitative
Analysis of Styrene Monomer in Polystyrene and Foods Including
Some Preliminary Studies of the Uptake and Pharmacodynamics
of the Monomer in Rats Environmental Health Perspectives
Vol. 17, pp. 125-1.53, 1976
Certain Styrene
Oligomers Have Proliferate Activity on MCF-7 Human Breast
Tumor Cells and Binding Affinity for Human Estrogen Receptor
Environmental Health Perspectives v.109, n.7, Jul01
Lead
Acetate and Lead Phosphate (ADDITIVES TO STYRENE)Reasonably
Anticipated to be Human Carcinogens Ninth Report on Carcinogens
2000 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public
Health ServiceNational Toxicology Progra
FLAME
RETARDANTS (Common, yet generally ignored toxic plastic resins):
PBDE
Flame Retardant in Furniture Causes Concern - AP 30jan02
PBDE
Polybrominated diphenyl ether What Fate for Brominated Fire
Retardants?
Rebecca Renner / Environmental Science and Technology 1may00
PBDE
- Flame Retardant Exposure: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in
Blood from Swedish Workers (Abstract) EHP Aug99
Flame
Retardants Released by Recycling Old Computers Mindfully.org
1feb01
TOXICITY