Since the 1950’s, the wonder material plastic has taken over the world. Its various polymer compounds have allowed it to take many different forms, ending up in your house, car, bedding and more due to its low cost and abundance. With the material becoming so prominent, various missteps have been made in attempts to streamline its production, such as the introduction of Bisphenol A (BPA). The chemical compound is used to manufacture certain plastics – namely Tupperware containers – but some effects of BPA contamination are neurological, circulatory and endocrine disorders according to Mayo Clinic and Oxford Academic, respectively. Because the negative effects of BPA are so widely studied, BPA-free products came to the market to relieve consumers. However, new research is showing that these substitutes are no better than the original.
BPA is used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics, which are rugged types of plastics that can be transparent. The manufacturing process of these plastics includes bonding BPA, or a substitute to make it “BPA free,” to phosgene. Substitutes for BPA, with the most popular being Bisphenol S (BPS), must have a similar chemical composition to BPA for it to bond with the phosgene.
According to Laura Vandenberg, an endocrinologist and former professor at Tufts with almost 20 years of experience, chemicals with similar structures will act on our bodies in similar ways.
Vandenberg’s claims are backed by an analysis published in Environmental Sciences Europe, which found an association between BPS in urine and an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
The most pressing concern about BPA is the effects that BPA and BPA-like chemicals have on our endocrine system. A study published in Toxicology Sciences found a “[clear demonstration] that all 6 BPA alternative compounds [BPZ, BPAF, BPAP, BPB, BPF, BPS] are estrogenic.” External sources of estrogen are unhealthy because they create an overabundance of estrogen in the body, disrupting natural processes in the body and stimulating the growth of cancerous cells, as was the focus of the study. Even worse, the same study found the “solution” to the BPA problem is worse than the problem as “three bisphenols (BPAF, BPB, BPZ) [have] more estrogenic potency than BPA.”
A broader issue with the prevalence of plastic is its lack of recyclability. According to a Greenpeace report, less than six percent of plastic recycled turns into new products. In addition to the growing waste problem, it means each piece of plastic left out in the weather will leach a minute amount of estrogenic chemicals into the waterways for us to consume.
Thankfully, BPA and its analogous chemicals do not settle in our bodies like other plastics and heavy metals, so minimizing contact will certainly reduce risk factors. Using glass Tupperware reduces exposure to estrogenic chemicals, is more sanitary, and can be recycled. According to the Mayo Clinic, not heating plastic will minimize the amount of chemicals leaching into what is being stored inside.
While it is almost impossible to not use any type of plastic in our everyday life, it would be most healthy to avoid it when possible.
