Surah Al-Kahf – Verses 107-108 Jannat ul firdus

Plastic should be banned

             part-4

PLASTIC HARM EFFECT ON HUMAN’S HEALTH

Did you know that plastics come in different types, and there are certain types of plastics that are very dangerous not only to our planet but also to human health while there are also those that do not harm or less harmful?

Plastics to avoid

For human health, it is the smallest particles — micro- and nano-particles which are of greatest concern. Particles must be small enough to be ingested. There are several ways by which plastic particles can be ingested: orally through water, consumption of marine products which contain microplastics, through the skin via cosmetics (identified as highly unlikely but possible), or inhalation of particles in the air

 “There are some places that plastics just don’t belong,” says Jill Thompson, Citizens for Change coordinator with the BC Chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada. “Our food and water shouldn’t touch plastic, at least not in the way it is currently manufactured.”

The concern is that plastic food-storage containers are leaching chemicals such as bisphenol A into our food. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used during the manufacturing of certain hard, clear plastics (the kind reusable water bottles, baby bottles, and sippy cups, medical equipment and devices, water jugs, sports bottles, safety equipments, and discs are made from. But the worse fact is that this is the same plastic used to create baby drinking and feeding bottles.)

It mimics the hormone estrogen and disrupts reproductive functions, Gue explains.

Studies have linked bisphenol A to prostate cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects. However, Health Canada says that the level of BPA in these products is low and normal use doesn’t pose a risk to your health.

BPA increases the risk to degenerative diseases, obstructs fertility and contributes to childhood behavioral problems. BPA does this by mimicking estrogen, a natural hormone found in our endocrine system and is used as the messaging service throughout all parts of the body. After which, it starts to disrupt normal body development by altering its usual activities, duplicating ways, and blocking or exaggerating hormonal responses. When taken by a mother, this phenomenon can both occur in the mother’s and the fetuses’ development, posing a huge threats the development of the little guy in the womb. Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., a developmental biologist at the University of Missouri, claims that it mostly harms the development of both brain and reproductive systems of the child. It may can pass from mother breast milk to newborn babies. It can also do harm to newborn babies when you feed them with infant bottles that’s not BPA-free. Meanwhile, adults are exposed to it mainly from eating packaged foods and from drinking epoxy resin-lined vats into wine. Those who have their teeth sealed can also expect BPA in the process since it’s used to manufacture dental products, too.

Growing literature links many Phthalates, which are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break, with a variety of adverse outcomes including weight gain and insulin resistance, decreased levels of sex hormones, and other consequences for the human reproductive system both for females and males

When food is wrapped in plastic containing BPA, phthalates may leak into the food. Any migration is likely to be greater when in contact with fatty foods such as meats and cheeses than with other foods.

In general, it is not recommended to heat food in plastic containers with the codes 3 and 7. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advises Americans not to reuse margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers, which are more likely to melt and cause chemicals to leach into food.

point to be noted that The label BPA-free in a container of bottle doesn’t mean a product is free from other harmful chemical compounds that are slightly different but have a different name

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) contains higher doses of toxic chemicals that can harm body living and non living things. In fact, environment sectors and health departments see it as the worst plastic ever created. It contains di-2-ehtylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), Dioxin, and Ethylene Dichloride that are known for their contributions in aplenty of severe health problems ranging from hormone and endocrine disruptions, cancers, birth defects, poor child development, and damages to reproductive and immune systems. It goes into the human body easily since these are the ones used to make cooking oil bottles, teething rings, toys, medical paraphernalia, transparent food packaging, and in most construction materials. Clearly, most of these items are present in almost every home all around the world. On the one hand, it goes to bodies of water when people throw plastic wastes to the sea or leave it at the beach.

Next in the list is Polystyrene (PS) – a rigid and very inexpensive type of plastic that uses styrene to produce it. Styrene has long been known for its effects on the body called nuerotoxic, which is characterized by fatigue, nervousness, delay of responses, difficulty in sleeping, and a lot more. Furthermore, it has carcinogenic effects and can cause the lowering of red blood cells and the weakening of the immune system. This type of plastic is used to make foams and polysterene cups or foam cups. Drinking thru these can pass on the styrene substance to the human body and can even leach into one’s unborn baby.

At every stage of its lifecycle, plastic poses distinct risks to human health, arising from both exposure to plastic particles themselves and associated chemicals. People worldwide are exposed at multiple stages of this lifecycle.

·         Extraction and transportation of fossil feedstocks for plastic, which releases an array of toxic substances into the air and water, including those with known health impacts like cancer, neurotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and impairment of the immune system;

·         Refining and production of plastic resins and additives, which releases carcinogenic and other highly toxic substances into the air, with effects including impairment of the nervous system, reproductive and developmental problems, cancer, leukemia, and genetic impacts like low birth weight;

·         Consumer products and packaging, which can lead to ingestion and/or inhalation of microplastic particles and hundreds of toxic substances;

·         Plastic waste management, especially “waste-to-energy” and other forms of incineration, releases toxic substances including heavy metals such as lead and mercury, acid gases and particulate matter, which can enter air, water, and soil causing both direct and indirect health risks for workers and nearby communities;

·         Fragmenting and microplastics, which enter the human body directly and lead to an array of health impacts (including inflammation, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and necrosis) that are linked to negative health outcomes ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer and autoimmune conditions;

·         Cascading exposure as plastic degrades, which further leach toxic chemicals concentrated in plastic into the environment and human bodies; and

·         Ongoing environmental exposures as plastic contaminates and accumulates in food chains through agricultural soils, terrestrial and aquatic food chains, and the water supply, creating new opportunities for human exposure.

Plastics to Consider

 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) is not only known to be the most common and easily recycled plastic for bottled waters and soft drinks, jelly jars, ketchup bottles, peanut butter and pickle bottles, and sports drinks. It is also the safest in all types of plastics out there. Studies show that it does not leach any chemicals to the drinks and food being stored in it. PET can be recycled into fiberfill for sleeping bags, carpet fibers, rope, pillows etc. However, studies show that it can potentially release toxic chemicals when used for a long time. It is strongly suggested that you don’t use these plastics as food and drinks storage containers for a long time.

Another kind is the  High Density Polyethylene, which is used to store milk, water, yogurt, cereals, and trash since it does not leak any suspecting chemicals that may cause cancer and other health issues to both animals and humans. HDPE can be recycled into flower pots, trash cans, traffic barrier cones, detergent bottles, etc.

Finally, there is #4 or Low Density Polyethylene and #5 or Polypropylene. These are used to make frozen food bags and ketchup bottles and margarine tubs respectively. Both are very safe and are not known to produce any harm chemicals when used.

Two broad classes of plastic-related chemicals are of critical concern for human health—bisphenol-A or BPA, and additives used in the synthesis of plastics, which are known as phthalates. Source: "Perils of Plastics: Risks to Human Health and the Environment," Arizona State University Biodesign Institute 18 March 2010

What Should You Do?

The reality is that the only way this problem can be addressed is by individuals and companies around the world agreeing to implement practices that reduce waste on every level.

The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place, many scientists and conservationists—including the National Geographic Society—say. This could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling, better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.

Consider a Personal Ban on Plastic Bags

WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT PLASTIC BAGS?

Plastic bags are not biodegradable. They fly off thrash piles, garbage trucks, and landfills, and then clog storm water infrastructure, float down waterways, and spoil the landscape. If all goes well, they end up in proper landfills where they may take 1,000 years or more to break down into ever smaller particles that continue to pollute the soil and water.

Plastic bags also pose a serious danger to birds and marine mammals that often mistake them for food. Floating plastic bags regularly fool sea turtles into thinking they are one of their favorite prey, jellyfish. Thousands of animals die each year after swallowing or choking on discarded plastic bags. This mistaken identity issue is apparently a problem even for camels in the Middle East!
Plastic bags exposed to sunlight for long enough do undergo physical breakdown. Ultra-violet rays turn the plastic brittle, breaking it into ever smaller pieces. The small fragments then mix with soil, lake sediments, are picked up by streams, or end up contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other oceanic trash deposits.
Finally, producing plastic bags, transporting them to stores, and bringing the used ones to landfills and recycling facilities require millions of gallons of petroleum, a non-renewable resource which can arguably be better used for more beneficial activities like transportation or heating.

STOP USING PLASTIC BAGS

Some businesses have stopped offering their customers plastic bags, and many communities are considering a ban on plastic bags - San Francisco was one of the first cities to do that in 2007. Some countries are experimenting with solutions like mandatory deposits, purchasing fees, and outright bans. Various grocery store chains now have policies to minimize use, including requesting a small fee to clients who would like plastic bags to be provided to them.

THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY RESPONDS
As with most environmental issues, the plastic bag problem is not as simple as it seems. Plastic industry groups like to remind us that compared to the paper bag alternative, plastic bags are light, have low transportation costs, and require comparatively little (non-renewable) resources to make, while generating less waste. They also are completely recyclable, provided your community has access to the right facilities. Their contribution to landfills is actually fairly small, and by the industry's estimate, 60% of people actually re-purpose and reuse their plastic bags. Of course, these arguments are less convincing when the comparisons are made against washable, sturdy reusable shopping bags.