Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog on January 23, 2025
Chemical exposures from plastics have taken a recent back seat to the new threat, microplastics. While each poses their own threat, chemical exposure from plastics remains a huge health issue.
In fact, according to a recent study, chemical exposure from plastics has been linked to millions of cases of heart disease and thousands of strokes. A hit to the health and safety of the population as well as a huge economic toll.
The top three chemical exposures from plastics as explained in the study include Bisphenol A (BPA), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
BPA is probably the one that you hear about most. But the other two are often lurking in unexpected places. And they have been that way for quite some time.
These convenient materials came into being and common use before we understood the potential health effects of exposure to them.
Much like x-rays in shoe stores to check the perfect fit were eventually removed because of the increased prevalence of bone cancer of the feet. Or cigarettes were recommended to newly pregnant women to help with morning sickness.
With knowledge comes responsibility.
So, what are these chemicals, and where do we typically find them?
BPA has been approved as a food contact material by our U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since the early 1960s. However BPA’s safety has recently come into question.
Other products containing BPA include:
Despite an FDA draft report released in 2008 indicating the BPA “remains safe in food contact materials,” opposition groups continue to press the issue.
A subcommittee raised questions about the age of the scientific evidence used in that ruling shortly after.
Fore FDA updates in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014 described the safety of the chemical.
In the fall of 2014, FDA experts from various fields across the country completed a four-year reviews across 300 scientific studies. The review claims that the safety assessment of BPA in food packaging remains the same. It remains safe, according to the agency.
However, as you will see from the study we are talking about here, evidence appears on the contrary.
Many manufacturers have already made the move to remove BPA from their packaging. In fact, “BPA-Free” can often be found on labels.
The CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) lists DEHP as a toxic substance. The agency classifies it as “phthalates.” A term you likely find familiar.
The colorless and odorless chemical is commonly added to plastics to make them flexible.
DEHP can be found in:
The ATSDR reports toxicity contributing to cancer, developmental problems occurring while organs are developing, liver problems, and affecting the immune system, the urinary system and kidneys, and reproductive problems.
Despite these concerns, this chemical can sometimes be found in food contact surfaces and packaging materials.
While less common, PBDEs are a serious concern to human health. In addition to humans, it is also toxic to animals and the environment. This is primarily because PBDE does not chemically bond to products that use it. Making them more likely to leach out of these products and into the unsuspecting consumer’s body and the environment.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is concerned for neurobehavioral effects on human health and its bioaccumulative effects.
Products often containing PBDE include:
Maureen Cropper from the University of Maryland along with her colleagues analyzed 1,700 previously published studies to examine chemical exposure from plastics and the health effects observed.
The United States, along with Canada and South Korea have databases that monitor levels for these chemical present in blood and urine samples, giving the team fairly accurate data. With this data, the team calculated the health outcomes that could be attributed to those three chemicals. 2015 provided the “most complete assessment,” given availability of data.
Here’s what they found:
The study attributes the 60% reduction in cardiovascular mortality between 2003 and 2015 to the regulatory and voluntary actions to remove BPA from products during that time.
The study indicates that despite all the motion in the right direction to remove chemical exposure from plastics from the public, “more than 70% of chemicals used in plastics remain untested for toxicity.”
Essentially, while we know about these substances, there are likely others still causing harm.
“Protection of human health against the hazards of chemicals in plastics will require a paradign shift in national chemical law,” said the authors, who also included Sarah Dunlop (University of Western Australia), Hudson Hinshaw (University of Maryland), Philip Landrigan (Boston College), and Christos Symeonides (Royal Children’s Hospital).
With health topics talking about microplastics, leeched chemicals, and more related to plastics in our homes and daily lives, have your buying or storage habits changed?
Personally, despite growing up doing so, I no longer microwave Styrofoam containers. I opt for glass storage for the most part, but there is still newly bought and inherited Tupperware in my cabinets. I generally don’t heat foods in plastic, but there are rare occasions where I still do.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Recent Study Analyzes Risks Associated with Chemical Exposure from Plastics and Finds Link to Heart Disease and Stroke,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)