Dangers Of Plastic

They may be harmful to children and reproductive health.

- Neha Tripathi

Plastic products, toys, and food packaging are everywhere, and they can often be quite useful. Unfortunately, many plastic products contain harmful chemicals. We are only beginning to understand the health threats, especially to developing babies and children. While everyone should be mindful about their exposure to these chemicals, it is especially critical that parents, grandparents, and others taking care of young children work to avoid children’s exposure to toxic chemicals.

A few small, easy changes in how you store and heat foods and what toys your child plays with can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals that can harm child development. Use these simple guidelines to help you choose what to buy, use or give to children.

Nearly 100 billion pounds of plastic is produced in the may countries each year. Plastics are now heavily used in food and beverage packaging, building products, electrical wiring, vehicles, furniture, toys and medical devices. Plastics now comprise nearly 70 per cent of the synthetic chemical industry in the nation. Two plastic ingredients, bisphenol A (BPA) and Di(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), are the subject of this report because of increasing evidence that they disrupt normal growth and development in many different species of animals because of their hormonal activity.

Many scientists now believe that developing foetuses, infants, and children may be more vulnerable to harm than adults following exposures active chemicals. This is because organ systems, hormone pathways, and metabolic systems are all still developing. In addition, young children breathe more air, consume more food and drink more water per pound of body weight than adults, and this increases their relative exposure to any chemicals present in their environment. Supports for policies that prevent childhood exposure to hazardous substances have deep roots in twentieth century environmental history.

NO LONGER SAFE