Phthalates...They are Everywhere

Phthalates

Just a quick read in regards to "dining out". Well, more about phthalates in general. But I did start my reading on the subject with a food article which is linked below. The article was about the dangers of fast food versus preparing food at home. It deals with the difference in the amount of phthalates we consume doing both (eating out versus dining in). What are phthalates you ask? So did I. This is a description from the CDC:

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. They are often called plasticizers. Some phthalates are used as solvents (dissolving agents) for other materials. They are used in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastics, plastic clothes (raincoats), and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays, and nail polishes).
Phthalates are used widely in polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging film and sheets, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage containers, medical tubing, and some children’s toys.

How People Are Exposed to Phthalates

People are exposed to phthalates by eating and drinking foods that have been in contact with containers and products containing phthalates. To a lesser extent exposure can occur from breathing in air that contains phthalate vapors or dust contaminated with phthalate particles. Young children may have a greater risk of being exposed to phthalate particles in dust than adults because of their hand-to-mouth behaviors. Once phthalates enter a person’s body, they are converted into breakdown products (metabolites) that pass out quickly in urine. ...

So this is the article that I referred to in the first paragraph. What it says is you increase your exposure to phthalates by eating fast food and restaurant food versus preparing food yourself.

Dining out more at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets may boost total levels of potentially health-harming chemicals called phthalates in the body, according to a study out today. Phthalates, a group of chemicals used in food packaging and processing materials, are known to disrupt hormones in humans and are linked to a long list of health problems.

The study is the first to compare phthalate exposures in people who reported dining out to those more likely to enjoy home-cooked meals. People who reported consuming more restaurant, fast food and cafeteria meals had phthalate levels that were nearly 35 percent higher than people who reported eating food mostly purchased at the grocery store, according to the study. ...

What health issues phthalates have been linked to:

In the past few years, researchers have linked phthalates to asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues. ...

There are many different kinds of phthalates out there and depending on where/what you eat will be dependent on how much you ingest. But, unfortunately, we also can breathe and absorb this through our skin. It is found in anything that contains plastic such as cosmetics, cleaning supplies, children's toys, and water bottles. So it isn't just limited to food but the food we eat that has plastic packaging is what makes a difference in our phthalates intake.

Ok, so what are the true dangers? I'm not sure and neither are the scientists. Studies linking phthalates to all those issues up there are not conclusive evidence that they are the cause of them. Nothing has been proven. The studies just indicate a possibility of phthalates causing these issues and most of the testing has been done on animals.

The EPA has determined that they were worthy of watching (well, at least 8 of them) though. This is a 16pg online PDF from 2012 that notates some of their concerns:

Phthalate exposures can produce a variety of adverse effects in laboratory animals; especially on the development of the male reproductive system, and therefore there are implications for human health. Animal data on the cumulative effect of mixtures of several phthalates showed an increase in the reproductive effects in the organism exposed. Phthalates are produced in high volume and they are used in numerous industrial and consumer products. Phthalates appear in biomonitoring surveys, such as NHANES, that provide evidence of widespread human exposure. Phthalates are also found in the environment and wildlife species. EPA is concerned with phthalates based on toxicity, particularly to the development of the male reproductive system, prevalence in the environment, widespread use and human exposure and recent work focusing on the potential cumulative effect of mixtures of phthalates. ...

And, from what I've read, you can only minimize your exposure to them...there is no way to completely remove them from your life. They are everywhere. Plastics have taken over the world! And we all thought that we'd be done in by nuclear war or a meteor. Seems like the ELE will be plastics and the chemicals used to produce them instead. (ok, I know... a bit "over the top". But still...)

Honestly though I just wanted to do this thread to make people aware. Maybe this is something to keep an eye on as they collect more information on the dangers and health effects, as well as environmental impacts.


As always thanks for reading...

blend57

a reply to: blend57

Also.. It's suggested not to reuse/refill water bottles you buy, more than a few times as plastic will begin to degrade into your refills as you've suggested here.

Helpful thread topic here. Thanks!

EMT

I've been collecting antique glass bottles lately. They are found around here on public land where people have been dumping trash since at least the 1920s. I find them to have interesting histories along with some interesting designs, esp. the older Art Deco ones.

Because of the change over to plastics starting around the 1970s, even the most common stubby beer bottles are worth at least a dollar. Glass seems fragile, but it can last forever just lying on the ground or in these trash piles. They are of course easily recycled and can be completely sterilized with just heat. They also don't contain any dangerous chemicals when they break down, they just turn back into sand.

Now you have pointed out a reason we should be using more glass containers. They are heavier of course, and likely they are more prone to breaking in transit, but I don't see running out of sand for glass production very soon. Plus if they all have a deposit, then they will get returned for recycling, not tossed into a landfill or out into the oceans. They can also be safely reused for a variety of purposes.

In general all plastics have some toxic issue, but then everything we buy is made of plastic, I mean --oil, everything is made from oil.

If you want to avoid that as much as possible, good luck. You can reduce your intake of plastic, buy goods in glass jars.

Remember when all supermarket goods came in glass jars? Soda, Mason Jars, even the milk bottles on the front porch were made of glass.

Use stainless steel or glass containers to store food in.

lifewithoutplastic

a reply to: mysterioustranger,


Makes it hard to reduce waste if you can't use them more than a few times. Recycling hubs aren't readily available in rural areas either. No pick up available and you have to drive quite a ways to drop off the recyclables yourself. But also just everything you buy has phthalates in it. Anything made with plastic. From TV's to cell phones to baby toys...if there's plastic in it the chemicals to make plastic more flexible is in it as well. And those chemicals could be causing health issues.

MichiganSwampBuck

Glass! Yes! I've been looking into silicone products lately (haven't completed all the research though). They are made from sand, rock, and oxygen. So far I haven't found anything bad about them health and environment wise. Fairly new and costly though.

That’s why, in January, she launched Stasher, a line of sandwich bags made entirely of silicone, a natural substance made of sand, rock, and oxygen. The silicone bags work just like regular plastic bags – they’re pinch-press and air-tight – but unlike Ziploc bags, they’re completely biodegradable. They’re also petroleum-free and contain no PVC, latex, or phthalates.

The bags are easy to clean and can be reused for at least 3 years and can be frozen, which means they’re less likely to wind up in landfills, or worse, lying around on the side of the highway.

The bags’ non-porous surface inhibits bacterial growth. A 3-D pocket allows for extra storage, and a see-through window allows you to see what is inside the bag. You can even label them with dry-erase markers. ...

They cost around $10-13 dollars each (quite steep) but, they last for over 3000 uses and can be used in the freezer, microwave, are dish washer safe and are biodegradable. I don't know why we are not switching over to this stuff. As you said, sand is not going to run out anytime soon.

At least we are looking for and coming up with alternate solutions to the plastic debacle. There are a couple companies that offer these bags now...it's a start.

Thanks for the responses..

blend

We use stainless steel and glass in our house.

This is an important topic, in my opinion, that few people know about or even believe in. People think "well I feel fine" so they don't think it's an issue.

But do just a little research on those conditions that Blend mentions in the OP, and you realize that ALL of them have had dramatic increases in occurrence in recent years. SOMETHING is going on, and somehow, we are destroying ourselves.

It's interesting. I'm American, and back in the 80's when I was a kid, we were all terrified of the big bad bogeyman - the Red Bear, and nuclear war. It was all about the bomb, that was the stuff of nightmares and movies. Funny - between phthalates, artificial sweeteners & super-concentrated sugars in everything, highly processed fats, antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides, I think we're killing ourselves slowly, without Russia ever lifting a finger.

Thanks for posting this, Blend!

PS - you did see there's a writing contest up, didn't you?

a reply to: intrptr

I do remember drinking soda as a kid from glass bottles. It honestly tasted better back then. You are right, never gonna get away from all the plastic in the world. Which is weird because if we are/were having issues with our oil supply, you would think that discontinuing the use of plastic in packaging and areas that we don't actually need to use it for Would be one of the top priorities. Thanks for the link and the comment.

originally posted by: PrairieShepherd
I think we're killing ourselves slowly, without Russia ever lifting a finger.

Seems like we are...just the accumulation of everything I guess, as you said. Hopefully we can turn some of it around and make life better for future generations though.

PS - you did see there's a writing contest up, didn't you?

Lol! Yep. I've been looking at the entries and might enter a story myself. I love the short stories contests!

Thanks for the replies!

blend

a reply to: blend57

Interesting link here possibly. But I'll have to wait for a few more studies to come out with similar findings before drawing conclusions myself.

a reply to: hombero

I understand. That is the way I feel as well (more studies needed) and I'm not 100% positive about it either. As I said in the OP, maybe it is just something we should keep a watch on...if you are concerned about it.

Thanks for the reply!

blend

a reply to: blend57

if we are/were having issues with our oil supply, you would think that discontinuing the use of plastic in packaging and areas that we don't actually need to use it for Would be one of the top priorities.

Can't get away from all the by products. Engineers work diligently creating products from the by products from oil production and refining.

When they 'refine' crude oil they are left with goo, out of the goo they make fertilizers, plastic and even tar and asphalt for roadways.

search result

Our bodies can detox a little Phthalates but not nearly as much as in our food supply. I have not found a way to neutralize these substance or stimulate the body to excrete them. It seems nobody is testing how to increase the bodies ability to increase excretion. Even a few parts per billion in our food, if eaten regularly, is enough to cause a disruption in our bodies.

Even if what you buy in the store is not wrapped in plastic, chances are it probably was. The beef in stores is wet aged then stuck in plastic to ship so there is no need to let it hang. It ages in the plastic and retains it's moisture so the steaks and roasts are heavier when you buy them. Dry aging actually makes meat lighter. It is beneficial for the big meat packing to do this, it increases their profits. But there is some residue in the meat from the plastic wrapping the beef portions.

Now, the effect of Phthalates is increased by adding other chemistry in our diet that has similar disruptive properties. The fifty thousand chemicals approved by the FDA are mostly not tested by the FDA. There is also no listing of ingredients or chemistry needed to be disclosed under certain circumstances, if it is in the packaging, it usually does not need to be disclosed unless it is proven to be a problem. Since the Phthalates are widely used, do not believe that the FDA will make rules to stop this. Even our fish is messed up by phthalates, and when we eat them it gets into our bodies. We got problems, I guess this is the new norm. If they stopped making plastic right now, we still would have them in our foods for hundreds of years or more. We already screwed up, but if you lower consumption, your body will have a better chance of excreting them. Do not expect the FDA to fix this, it will never happen until the cows come home. Even milk is usually in plastic containers these days. Just because you buy milk in a glass bottle does not mean it is safer, the organic certification only means that nonorganic stuff on the land has not been added in the last five years. But some farmers are more picky than the minimum, there is some good organic out there.

a reply to: intrptr

True, we really can't get away from them all. They now say that we could be breathing air that has micro-plastic particles in it. How bad our air quality is and how much we are breathing in is still under study.

What are the characteristics of atmospheric fibrous microplastics?
After chemical characterization, it appeared that 29% of the fibers evaluated in TAF are plastic, with the majority constituting cellulosic or natural origin [5]. The length distribution of fibers collected larger than 50 μm was assessed. On measuring fiber length, smaller size classes [200–400 μm] and [400–600 μm] were predominant whilst fibers in the larger size ranges were rare. Few fibers measuring between 50 μm (observation limit) and 200 μm in length have been detected. The diameter of the fibers varied mainly between 7 and 15 μm.

What are the characteristics of fibrous microplastics in indoor environments?
According to chemical characterization, 67% of indoor fibers were made of natural material, primarily cellulosic, while the remaining 33% of fibers contained petrochemicals with polypropylene being predominant [6]. A similar size distribution was determined for indoor air, outdoor air and TAF with slight differences. These differences between compartments lie in the size of the longest observed fibers: while fibers in the range of 4,650–4,850 µm can be found in dust fall, no fiber longer than 3,250 µm is observed in indoor air, which is almost double the size of the longest fibers in outdoor air (1,650 µm). Larger fibers are observed in dust fall because they settle more rapidly and accumulate on the floor. While fibers under 50 μm were not counted due to the observation lower limit, the size distribution pattern suggests that much smaller fibers might be present.

Impacts on human health?
Are airborne fibrous microplastics breathable?
The likelihood that airborne fibrous MPs enter our respiratory system will be dependent upon size. First, it is important to discriminate between the terms inhalable and respirable. Particles and fibers able to enter the nose and mouth and deposit in the upper airway are inhalable, whilst those able to reach and deposit in the deep lung are respirable. Deposition in the airway is a function of aerodynamic diameter and within the respiratory zone, deposition falls off above 5 μm diameter [11]. ...

If we are breathing in micro-plastics, well, that should be a good indicator of just how bad our plastic problem is. And you would be positively right..we will never (not in our lifetimes) get away from plastic.

a reply to: rickymouse

I read some of that as well. It is everywhere and in everything (possibly even our air as I linked above). The only way to reduce exposure is to stop using it. There is some good news...the silicone ziplock bags I linked is one alternative (no, I'm not pushing the bags, but they are an example of what we could use instead of plastic and how we could use it).

Also, a company in Utah is making oil from plastic. Pretty much they are using garbage as a fuel source:

a Salt Lake City-based entrepreneur and her partner have developed a proprietary process that turns recycled waste plastic into crude oil that is so advanced that it can be made into gasoline, kerosene and diesel easier than the oil that comes straight out of the ground.

The company’s commercial-scale facility was moved to Salt Lake City in 2012 and now has enough capacity to convert 20,000 pounds of non-recycled plastic to 60 barrels of oil per day — all with zero emissions.

About 70 to 80 percent comes out as oil, while about 10 to 20 percent comes out as natural gas that is recycled to keep the system heated so you don’t use any additional outside energy,” she said. The remaining small percentage is “char” waste — dirt and residue on the plastic. ...

So we are finding solutions and we can reverse this. It is just going to take some time to turn it around. But we should be aware of where we sit with regards to the plastic issue and what potential health/environment risks it holds to us. Nothing wrong with knowing what you're up against.

Thanks for adding your thoughts!

blend

originally posted by: rickymouse
Even milk is usually in plastic containers these days. Just because you buy milk in a glass bottle does not mean it is safer, the organic certification only means that nonorganic stuff on the land has not been added in the last five years. But some farmers are more picky than the minimum, there is some good organic out there.

This is why I like living outside the city. Friend of mine from church is an organic farmer with a few cows. Milk goes from the cow to the stainless steel milking pail to glass jars to the refrigerator. No phthalates, no packaging, etc. I trade him homebrew for milk; works out pretty darn well.
And the cream you can skim off the top makes a heck of a pumpkin pie.

Now, here is an article about research of drugs. www.sciencedaily.com...

This flawed system of researching things is also pertinent to this thread, animal tests are used to test if chemistry hurts animals to show they are GRAS.

It is not the research that is flawed, people need to read the parameters of the research and evaluate what other side effects may occur and whether the side effects are worse than the problem they are starting to fix. In utilizing plastic wrap they were more interested in the plastic killing microbes in the package, they did not properly evaluate what it did to the people. Lots of plastics have antimicrobial properties which actually form gasses that kill microbes, and then they do not have to list anything or they do not have to use the natural preservation practices that we have used for fifty years. The plastic lining of tin cans has properties which means that hot vaccum packing does not necessarily need to be done. When you can your own foods, you need very hot material so that when you put the lid on, it causes vaccuum in the jar. Some hot packed production still goes on, that stuff sometimes does not have a best buy date on the cans. The plastic gives an off taste to the product over time and is poisoning it a little. There are some plastic lined cans that are like varnish sprayed, it is a very hard coating that is not soft, it chips and has less of this problematic endocrine disruptive chemistry. I actually called a few manufacturers and asked them of their system they use. If you ask, sometimes you learn things. But do not blindly believe someone who is a salesman, know what to ask for.

originally posted by: PrairieShepherd

originally posted by: rickymouse
Even milk is usually in plastic containers these days. Just because you buy milk in a glass bottle does not mean it is safer, the organic certification only means that nonorganic stuff on the land has not been added in the last five years. But some farmers are more picky than the minimum, there is some good organic out there.

This is why I like living outside the city. Friend of mine from church is an organic farmer with a few cows. Milk goes from the cow to the stainless steel milking pail to glass jars to the refrigerator. No phthalates, no packaging, etc. I trade him homebrew for milk; works out pretty darn well.
And the cream you can skim off the top makes a heck of a pumpkin pie.

Rub it in. I can't get any good milk around here anymore unless I invest in a share of a cow. I do not get to stipulate what that cow eats either, I prefer grass fed milk myself. I used to know someone who sold friends milk, he had the perfect combination of grasses in his pastures. He got busted, the best tasting milk you could find around and the government shut him down and fined him bigtime. His milking area and storage tanks were top of the line and clean, he was very fussy. He passed the government inspection part with flying colors, but selling raw milk is a crime. One that cost him ten grand and he had to sell all his animals and was required to sign a paper to never to have more to get it reduced from a hundred grand.

a reply to: blend57

And you would be positively right..we will never (not in our lifetimes) get away from plastic.

Another thing or two we can do, live outside built up areas, lots of dirt and particulates blowing around in cities. Just breathing is unhealthy. Drink only distilled water, 99.999 percent of all contaminants are removed by the distillation process. Grow you own food, sans chemical fertilizer and pesticides, herbicides. Buy un processed or prepared foods, avoid products whose labeling lists a hundred additives.

LIve somewhere not down wind or down stream from major metropolitan areas.

Durastill

Thank you, great for bringing this up. As between this and PBCs, the issue needs to be brought about and discussed more.

My state is the first in taking action against these chemicals.

Thursday, March 22, 2018 On Wednesday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the first state law to ban toxic fluorinated chemicals in food packaging, such as microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes and fast-food wrappers. The ban – conditioned on the state identifying a safer alternative – is a major defeat for the chemical and packaging industries, which have quashed similar proposed bans in other states.

Source

a reply to: dreamingawake

Oh wow. Nice to see some action being taken, at least at state level. An interesting part from your article:

For decades, chemical companies covered up the mounting evidence that PFAS chemicals were harmful to human health and the environment. Under pressure from the EPA, some PFASs were phased out, but the replacement chemicals, including those used in food packaging, are very similar in structure and may be no safer. A recent analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund shows the FDA has rubber-stamped several dozens of PFAS chemicals for use in food packaging.

That quote kind of relates to what Rickymouse said about false reporting and reading the results inaccurately.

a reply to: intrptr

I live in a very rural area already. And plan on moving shortly to an even more remote location. Distilled water is a must have even out here with well water. The pesticides from farming are starting to show up in the rivers and water supplies now (even in wells). I'm probably going to invest in a distiller eventually TBH. They aren't all too terribly priced.

Thanks for the links and thoughts!

blend

originally posted by: blend57
a reply to: mysterioustranger,


Makes it hard to reduce waste if you can't use them more than a few times. Recycling hubs aren't readily available in rural areas either. No pick up available and you have to drive quite a ways to drop off the recyclables yourself. But also just everything you buy has phthalates in it. Anything made with plastic. From TV's to cell phones to baby toys...if there's plastic in it the chemicals to make plastic more flexible is in it as well. And those chemicals could be causing health issues.

MichiganSwampBuck

Glass! Yes! I've been looking into silicone products lately (haven't completed all the research though). They are made from sand, rock, and oxygen. So far I haven't found anything bad about them health and environment wise. Fairly new and costly though.

That’s why, in January, she launched Stasher, a line of sandwich bags made entirely of silicone, a natural substance made of sand, rock, and oxygen. The silicone bags work just like regular plastic bags – they’re pinch-press and air-tight – but unlike Ziploc bags, they’re completely biodegradable. They’re also petroleum-free and contain no PVC, latex, or phthalates.

The bags are easy to clean and can be reused for at least 3 years and can be frozen, which means they’re less likely to wind up in landfills, or worse, lying around on the side of the highway.

The bags’ non-porous surface inhibits bacterial growth. A 3-D pocket allows for extra storage, and a see-through window allows you to see what is inside the bag. You can even label them with dry-erase markers. ...

They cost around $10-13 dollars each (quite steep) but, they last for over 3000 uses and can be used in the freezer, microwave, are dish washer safe and are biodegradable. I don't know why we are not switching over to this stuff. As you said, sand is not going to run out anytime soon.

At least we are looking for and coming up with alternate solutions to the plastic debacle. There are a couple companies that offer these bags now...it's a start.

Thanks for the responses..

blend

Michigan has a movement to make water bottles returnable/recyclical with a $.10 cent deposit.. But that's just to reduce waste.. not to re-sterize against chemical leaching...