Health concerns and questions swirl around bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which are used in plastics, including those that hold food and water.
In the body, they mimic the effects of female sex hormone estrogen. Studies have found that plastics will release chemicals that are then ingested and have hormonal effects such as early sexual development in women, insulin resistance in children, and breast cancer.
Numerous studies found detectable amounts of BPA in the urine of children and adults alike raising the controversy of what level of the chemical, if any, is safe for consumption.
Infants and toddlers consumed BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups. Researchers believe that babies and young children are more susceptible to the effects of this chemical than are adults.
The European Union banned BPA in baby bottles in 2011 and the U.S. followed suit in 2012.
Children and adults take in small amounts of BPA from plastics that leach the chemical into food and water.
The question still remains about whether BPA-containing plastics are safe to consume in small quantities.
Diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), which has replaced BPA in some plastic wraps, is potential endocrine disruptor that has been linked to breast cancer in women and low sperm counts in men, said the National Center for Health Research, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.
Doctors and scientists offer advice about safely using plastics
The challenge is consumers do not know exactly what is in the plastics they buy nor is there conclusive proof of the dangers. However, with cancer risk, which can take decades to manifest, some experts advise caution.
“I heat food only in glass or ceramic, and although I use cling film in my fridge to cover cooked food, I remove it before reheating that food in the microwave,” pharmacologist Dr. Andrea Gore told The Daily Mail. Dr. Gore studies the effects of chemicals on hormone function at the University of Texas, Austin.
“Do not allow cling wrap to come into direct contact with food when heating it,” advised Cancer Research UK, according to The Daily Mail.
Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor at New York University Langone, lead author on a study on plastics and high blood pressure in children and adolescents, advised to not microwave food in plastic containers or covered by plastic wrap. Also, he said people can avoid using plastic containers with the numbers 3, 6, or 7 (inside the recycle symbol) because they contain phthalates.
Johns Hopkins University advises that people should not be afraid to drink water from plastic bottles, which do not contain phthalates in the U.S. But urged caution with cooking or microwaving plastics:
Phthalates are environmental contaminants that can exhibit hormone-like behavior by acting as endocrine disruptors in humans and animals. If you heat up plastics, you could increase the leaching of phthalates from the containers into water and food.
People can also avoid reusing plastic containers too often or scrubbing them, which damages the surface. Metal water bottles are available for those who are concerned about plastic water bottles.
