HI there,
plastics make up 1/4 of our trash and are everywhere around us. How do they effect us?
I'm wondering if anyone knows where to find conclusive evidence re: the negative effects of plastics on health (including recycled plastics as they seem no better)?
"…Apart from these perils, recycling of plastic is very uneconomical, dirty and labor-intensive as has been revealed by a study conducted by the Public Interest Research Group, based in Dehi, India. Recycling of plastic is associated with skin and respiratory problems, resulting from exposure to and inhalation of toxic fumes, especially hydrocarbons and residues released during the process. What is worse, the recycled plastic degrades in quality and necessitates the production of more new plastic to make the original product.."
Apart from this, newer types of plastic, such as 'bio-degradebale' plastic ends up in the landfills, degrading to produce methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than CO2.
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Plastic
"…Animal studies on BPA found that low-dose exposure, particularly during pregnancy, may be associated with a variety of ills, including cancer and reproductive problems..Does that mean even today's minuscule exposure levels are too much? The science is still murky, and human studies are few and far from definitive."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821664,00.html
thanks
Anna