Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
At the time -1967 - even Mr. McGuire couldn’t have envisioned the sheer range and staying power that plastic would display. Forty years on, two images have made this plain. One is Chris Jordan’s photo of the plastic objects, from bottle tops to cigarette lighters, that turn up in the stomach of an albatross chick on Midway Atoll, 2,000 miles from the nearest continent. The other is the area now sketched on maps called the Pacific Garbage Patch, created by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. Some say this vortex of floating plastic is the size of Texas; others say it’s the size of America.
Someone mentioned phthalates on one of the discussion boards on Breastcancer.org. The more I learn about the toxic chemicals that we are exposed to every day, the more I worry.
I added phthalates to my cancer glossary.
Eliminating all phthalates is impossible, but we can reduce our exposure:
1. Stay away from fragrance. Unfortunately, you will very rarely see phthalates listed on a product label - particularly if you're worried about a rubber ducky. There are clues. When it comes to cosmetics, the word "fragrance' or 'parfum' on a label almost always means phthalates. What you want to see are claims like: 'no synthetic fragrance' or 'scented with only essential oils' or 'phthalate-free.' And always use only natural air fresheners.
2. Crack the code. Plastic products with recycling codes 3 and 7 may contain phthalates or BPA. Look for plastic with recycling codes 1, 2, or 5.
3. Ditch hand-me-down plastic toys. Several types of phthalates are now banned from children's toys, teethers, bottles, and feeding products. But these laws only took place in 2009, so anything made of soft plastic that was manufactured before that probably contains phthalates (think rubber duckies, not Legos).
4. Avoid plastic whenever possible, and never heat your food in plastic. Foods that are higher in fat - meats and cheeses, for instance - are particularly prone to chemical leaching. Even BPA or phthalate-free plastic may contain harmful chemicals. Opt for glass food storage containers, and choose bottles and sippy and snack cups that are mostly stainless steel, silicone, or glass.
5. Eat organic produce, meat, and dairy. Phthalates are used in pesticides and are also found in sewage sludge that is used in conventional agriculture. Neither is permitted on certified organic produce, and pesticide-treated animal feeds are not allowed in organic meat and dairy production.
6. Invest in a water filter. Granular activated carbon filters should remove DEHP, which is the type of phthalate used in water pipes. Unfortunately, some sources claim that a percentage of water may pass through the carbon without filtration. A nano-filtration system is more expensive but possibly a more reliable way to filter out phthalates.
7. Use your dollars to make sense, not scents. Several manufacturers have sworn off the use of phthalates due to consumer pressure. Others have never used these chemicals. Learn more about where to find the good stuff at www.ewg.org/skindeep.
Why are phthalates dangerous?
Phthalates like parabens are also known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals which disrupt normal hormonal processes. And, also like parabens, they are frequently included in our cosmetic and body care products. Phthalates have been found to cause a broad range of birth defects and lifelong reproductive problems in laboratory animals exposed to them during pregnancy and after birth.
The US Environmental Protection Agency lists phthalates as 'Chemicals of Concern'. (Think Before You Pink)
Phthalates are esters of phthalic acid used principally as plasticizers to increase flexibility, transparency, durability and longevity in a large variety of products - including personal-care products, nail polish, fragrances, enteric coatings on pharmaceutical tablets and nutritional supplements, detergents and surfactants, packaging materials, PVC shower curtains, pharmaceuticals, food products, children’s toys, paints, printing inks, lubricants, emulsifying agents, adhesives and glues, vinyl flooring, electronics, building materials, medical devices, food additives, textiles, and inert ingredients in pesticides. (Wikipedia, 2014)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found most of the people they tested in the US had metabolites of multiple phthalates in their urine. Recent human bio-monitoring data found the 'tolerable intake' of phthalates for children to be far exceeded, in some instances up to 20-fold. (Wikipedia, 2014)
Phthlates have been found to interfere with the production of male reproductive hormones in laboratory animals. These effects include lower testosterone level, decreased sperm count and lower sperm quality. Exposure to phthalates during gestation can also cause malformations of the male reproductive tract and testicular cancer. (Natural Resources Defense Council, undated)
Because phthalates are not chemically bound to products, they easily off-gas - especially with heat. Exposure to phthalates is by ingestion, inhalation, and applying products which contain them to the skin. (Natural Resources Defense Council, undated)
Wikipedia has a table listing 25 of the most common phthalates along with the abbreviations you might see on product ingredients lists.
Phthalates are banned in cosmetics sold in the EU but not in the US. In this country, they are allowed in color cosmetics, scented lotions, body washes, hair care products, nail polishes and treatments. They may appear on the labels of these products as phthalate, DEP, DBP or simply as 'fragrance' (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 2011) or they may not appear on the ingredients list at all. (Berl, 2012)
How about those cosmetic companies, you know the ones, and their complete disregard for our health and well-being!
And the plastics industry!
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