What plastics are potentially dangerous for health?

 What plastics are potentially dangerous for health?

Food packaging, clothing, toys: plastic is everywhere. However, this material releases, from its manufacture to its degradation, toxic substances both for the environment and our health.

But a lack of knowledge on the chemical composition, on the manufacturing processes of plastic and its additives makes it difficult to measure the real impact of health hazards.

However, several studies have pointed to the risks associated with the ingestion of food plastics.

Doctor Pierre Souvet, cardiologist, gives us some explanations.

Based on the information we have, which plastics are the most dangerous?

Pierre Souvet : There are several families of plastics, listed from 1 to 7. The most potentially toxic are polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC), which correspond respectively to the numbers 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7. 

The most toxic plastics are those found in food products . It should be understood that the danger is not only in the plastic itself but also in the additive used to manufacture it, as well as the degradation product which can also be toxic.

One of the most problematic plastics is PETE, which can be found in mineral water bottles. PETE can generate antimony, a potentially carcinogenic metal, which passes from the container to the liquid ingested. In the Middle Ages, it was used as an emetic. It is a cousin of arsenic.

The longer you keep the container and the more it is exposed to heat, the greater the risks. As drinking water is not always available, these precautionary measures must be observed.

What if we use a plastic bottle?

It is the duration of contact of the plastic with the liquid that will play. The advantage of the gourd is that if you fill it in the morning and drink it during the day, there is no problem. While the plastic bottles that we buy at the supermarket can spend several hours in the heat in a parking lot before landing on the shelves. It is therefore more problematic, since we do not know its path.

What about other plastics?

Again, the risks are significant if the plastic is heated . A priori, no problem with the cling film since it would not occur to people to put it in the microwave. But for some plastics, microparticles can disperse even when they are not subjected to heat.

This is particularly the case for flexible plastics or PVC, such as packaging used for meats and sausages, which release dioxins and phthalates.

Polypropylene, which can be found for example in typical Tupperware accessories, is also a problem. For this type of container, the plastic particles pass from the container to the food, even when cold.

Precisely, what are the risks?

Several studies have shown that one of the additives used for polypropylene has estrogenic activity. Added to other endocrine disruptors of everyday life, it could therefore potentially promote breast cancer. 

Polycarbonate also poses a problem, in particular for bisphenols A , recognized as endocrine disruptors.

The National Security Agency (France) carried out a study on all bisphenol A substitutes but concluded that no certainty was possible concerning their non-toxic effects. A study published in 2015 also showed that bisphenols F and S were as aggressive for fertility as bisphenols A. 

Finally, there is polystyrene, often used in trays for fast food restaurants, which is potentially carcinogenic.

How to limit the impact of plastic in food products, when it cannot be avoided?

As soon as possible, transfer the products to containers made of an inert material such as glass . And above all, never heat plastic of any kind.