Are YOU Toxic?
Are the amount of plastics in your life making you toxic? Are we keeping ourselves free of toxins?
It’s well documented that the toxins from plastic are detrimental to our health!
“[BPA free water bottles are the only ones we should use … they are relatively inexpensive and should be replaced often as the plastic degrades over time! Some types of plastic water bottles contain chemicals that may leach into your drinking water. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is one of the most commonly cited culprits, and is found in hard plastic bottles marked with plastic code “7.” Other plastics also pose a potential health threat. According to CBC News, Canada banned the use of BPA in October 2008 so the full health effects could be explored further. Bottles containing BPA are also prohibited in Japan, according to Scientific American, though as of 2010 they are still widely used in the United States and other parts of the world.
Water bottles containing BPA have also been linked to increased rates of disease in adults. According to CBC News, humans with the highest concentrations of BPA in their urine are three times more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 2.4 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes than people with low BPA concentrations.]”
Toxicity can explains that excess weight that does not seem to come off!
A 2014 research review published in the Reviews on Environmental Health, “Plastics and Environmental Health: The Road Ahead,” notes that plastic is an ideal material for single-use disposable devices, because they’re “cost-effective, require little energy to produce, and are lightweight and biocompatible.” Yet the chemical compounds within plastic can damage human health. In their work, the scholars, Emily North and Rolf Halden of Arizona State University, summarize relevant research findings on the benefits, dangers, disposal of, and future innovative potential for plastics. The study received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a government research body.
The findings include:
- “[On average, 300 million tons of plastic are produced around the globe each year. Of this, 50% is for disposable applications such as packaging.
- Plastics make up 85% of medical equipment. IV bags and tubing alone constitute up to 25% of hospital waste. In all, U.S. hospitals discard approximately 425,000 tons of material annually.
- Some of their finding:
- Detectable levels of bisephenol A (BPA) from plastics have been found in urine of 95% of adults in the United States.
- Environmental exposure to plastic-related chemical compounds does not occur in isolation but as a “cocktail effect,” with unknown cumulative impacts. Components of plastics currently being studied for their health effects include polyhalogenated flame retardants, polyfluorinated compounds (known as PFOS or PFOA) and antimicrobial compounds such as triclosan and triclocarban.
- Because plastics are found throughout the globe, there are effectively no populations that haven’t been exposed to them. Everybody is being exposed to some degree at any given time from gestation through death.”]”
Sophisticated equipment now exists that measures plasticizers on the blood stream of humans. They can now tell if bike racers are getting transfusions during competition to gain a competitive advantage by measuring the plasticizers in the blood stream from the medical equipment used in the IV’s.
What does this mean to us as cyclist who are looking to keep our bodies healthy and toxin free:
- Find alternatives to plastic products whenever possible.
- Buy food in glass or metal containers; avoid polycarbonate drinking bottles with Bisphenol A
- Avoid heating food in plastic containers, or storing fatty foods in plastic containers or plastic wrap.
- Store food in glass, paper or metal containers
- Avoid all PVC and Styrene products
Why would you do this you ask?
We will use the information from The Ecology Center …
www.ecologycenter.org/…/adverse-health-effects-of-plastics/
Adverse Health Effects of Plastics
| Plastic | Common Uses | Adverse Health Effects |
| Polyvinylchloride (#3PVC) | Food packaging, plastic wrap, containers for toiletries, cosmetics, crib bumpers, floor tiles, pacifiers, shower curtains, toys, water pipes, garden hoses, auto upholstery, inflatable swimming pools | Can cause cancer, birth defects, genetic changes, chronic bronchitis, ulcers, skin diseases, deafness, vision failure, indigestion, and liver dysfunction |
| Phthalates (DEHP, DINP, and others) | Softened vinyl products manufactured with phthalates include vinyl clothing, emulsion paint, footwear, printing inks, non-mouthing toys and children’s products, product packaging and food wrap, vinyl flooring, blood bags and tubing, IV containers and components, surgical gloves, breathing tubes, general purpose labware, inhalation masks, many other medical devices | Endocrine disruption, linked to asthma, developmental and reporoductive effects. Medical waste with PVC and pthalates is regularly incinerated causing public health effects from the release of dioxins and mercury, including cancer, birth defects, hormonal changes, declining sperm counts, infertility, endometriosis, and immune system impairment. |
| Polycarbonate, with Bisphenol A (#7) | Water bottles | Scientists have linked very low doses of bisphenol A exposure to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems (Environment California) |
| Polystyrene | Many food containers for meats, fish, cheeses, yogurt, foam and clear clamshell containers, foam and rigid plates, clear bakery containers, packaging “peanuts”, foam packaging, audio cassette housings, CD cases, disposable cutlery, building insulation, flotation devices, ice buckets, wall tile, paints, serving trays, throw-away hot drink cups, toys | Can irritate eyes, nose and throat and can cause dizziness and unconsciousness. Migrates into food and stores in body fat. Elevated rates of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers for workers. |
| Polyethelyne (#1 PET) | Water and soda bottles, carpet fiber, chewing gum, coffee stirrers, drinking glasses, food containers and wrappers, heat-sealed plastic packaging, kitchenware, plastic bags, squeeze bottles, toys | Suspected human carcinogen |
| Polyester | Bedding, clothing, disposable diapers, food packaging, tampons, upholstery | Can cause eye and respiratory-tract irritation and acute skin rashes |
| Urea-formaldehyde | Particle board, plywood, building insulation, fabric finishes | Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen and has been shown to cause birth defects and genetic changes. Inhaling formaldehyde can cause cough, swelling of the throat, watery eyes, breathing problems, headaches, rashes, tiredness |
| Polyurethane Foam | Cushions, mattresses, pillows | Bronchitis, coughing, skin and eye problems. Can release toluene diisocyanate which can produce severe lung problems |
| Acrylic | Clothing, blankets, carpets made from acrylic fibers, adhesives, contact lenses, dentures, floor waxes, food preparation equipment, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, paints | Can cause breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, weakness, headache and fatigue |
| Tetrafluoro- ethelyne | Non-stick coating on cookware, clothes irons, ironing board covers, plumbing and tools | Can irritate eyes, nose and throat and can cause breathing difficulties |
ENOUGH SAID!