It seems that the plastic bubble is on the verge of bursting. First it is the attention turned to Bisphenol-A – causing many plastics to be removed from the shelves across Canada and parts of Europe. Melamine contamination in the food chain has caused serious repercussions for Chinese exports. Add in the plastic floating in the ocean and contributing to both environmental and wildlife effects. It might actually be time to rethink our use of plastics in general.
It will not be an easy transition. Just look around you – pretty much everything has some plastic content. Foods come packaged in a variety of plastic containers, electronics are primarily plastics, electrical wires are plastics, and even those new socks come with tiny plastic ties. In fact, it is challenging to imagine a world without all those useful plastics. No sticky tape, no CDs, no ballpoint pens, no brightly coloured plastic toys. Truthfully, it may be impossible to avoid all plastics.
But there are increasing reasons to reduce our relationship with plastics. The latest issue of Environmental Research has a section devoted to research on plastics. Overall, plasticizing chemicals are associated with a wide range of health effects and environmental impacts.
In the ocean, plastics have entered the ecosystem faster than they have been produced through manufacturing. Plastic litter accounts for 60-80% of all marine debris. Seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals are all known to suffer mortality through mistaking plastic for edible prey. In addition, plastic fishing equipment and debris also contribute to entanglements that cause further deaths. Both large items and tiny fragments cause problems throughout marine habitats – from plankton and swimming organisms all the way down to the bottom sediments and benthic residents.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) and a range of phthalates are chemicals used commonly as plasticizers. They have been the subject of much scrutiny lately, due to their estrogenic and other reproductive effects. BPA is used in polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins in food containers, and dental sealants. Estrogen-mimics are compounds that bind to normal cell receptors, stimulating developmental changes in the brain and other body organs. Studies in other mammalian species, such as mice, have found correlations between brain changes and behaviour – suggesting wider ranging effects. Phthalates, used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products more flexible, appear to reduce male reproductive functions (known as anti-androgenic effects).
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs) are compounds used as flame-retardants in plastics. They are thyroid hormone disruptors and affect most cell functions via metabolism and growth. PDBEs are potentially neurotoxic, as found in rodents, as well as having possible effects on reproduction. They have been detected in human breastmilk and the health implications are troubling.
Maybe the question is: what more do we need to know? What will it take for us to mend our ways? I am typing on a computer encased in plastic, surrounded by a variety of other plastic items. Most homes are similar. But what are the alternatives? Currently there are precious few options without withdrawing completely from the mainstream – and not using cars, buses, bikes, strollers, skateboards, and so on. The challenge is there for businesses to find alternatives – many consumers may be ready to make a major change.
Photo credit: subsilk@Flickr.com
