Antimony in fabrics

by Posted in 1.4 Additives Fact Sheets Tagged

Yet more reasons to reduce your plastic use …. quoted highlights from an extremely interesting article from the never dull O Ecotextiles PLEASE NOTE the quotes are the points that struck me, I strongly reccomend you read the whole article to place the quotes in context and access the citations.

“65% of the world’s production of fibers are synthetic, and 35% are natural fibers. (1) Fully 70% of those synthetic fibers are polyester.

There are many different types of polyester, but the type most often produced for use in textiles is polyethylene terephthalate, abbreviated PET. Used in a fabric, it’s most often referred to as “polyester” or “poly”. It is very cheap to produce, which is the primary driver for its use in the textile industry.

Annual PET production requires 104 million barrels of oil – that’s 70 million barrels just to produce the virgin polyester used in fabrics.

Antimony is used as a catalyst to create PET.

Antimony is present in 80 – 85% of all virgin PET. Antimony is a carcinogen, and toxic to the heart, lungs, liver and skin.

Antimony used in the production of PET fibers becomes chemically bound to the PET polymer so although your PET fabric contains antimony, it isn’t available to your living system. (3)

Antimony is leached from the fibers during the high temperature dyeing process. The antimony that leaches from the fibers is expelled with the wastewater…. Countries that can afford technologies that precipitate the metals out of the solution are left with a hazardous sludge …..Countries who cannot or who are unwilling to employ these end-of-pipe treatments release antimony along with a host of other dangerous substances to open waters.”

PVC

by Posted in 1.3 Plastic Types - Fact Sheets Tagged , , ,

 A white brittle plastic until you add plasticisers the most common being phthalates then it becomes soft and flexible. PVC is known as the “poison plastic” because of the lethal chemicals produced during its manufacture and possibly again when disposed of.

It is an ethane derived plastic.

PVC is one of the cheaper plastics and consequently widely used.

PVC is a polymer – a large molecule created by linking together smaller molecules.

It is a combination of oil and chlorine. Chlorine is a salt, the same salt you use in the kitchen.

Over 50% of the weight of PVC comes from chlorine which means PVC requires less petroleum than many other polymers.

It is a thermoplastic material. It will melt when heated to a certain temperatures and harden when it cools.

It is naturally rigid but can be made flexible with the addition of more chemicals including phthalates.

PVC can be used in either form – hard or soft and is used as an insulator and coating for electrical cables, packaging, cling film, bottles, credit cards, audio records and imitation leather window frames, pipes, flooring, car interiors and to make medical disposables.

PVC is used massively in the building industry. Most water pipes are now made from PVC. They replace metal pipes that were less adaptable, more easily damaged and a lot more expensive.

PVC is known as the “poison plastic” because:

  • Toxic chemicals are used in its creation.One of those is vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). VCM is a gas and a known carcinogen causing cancerous tumors in the brain, lungs, liver and various tissues in humans.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a chlorinated plastic.
  • Dioxins are unintentionally, but unavoidably produced during the manufacture of materials containing chlorine like PVC
  • Dioxin is a known human carcinogen and the most potent synthetic carcinogen ever tested in laboratory animals.
  • Burning these plastics can release dioxins.

Recycling & Biodegradability

PVC does not biodegrade

PVC is not as easy to recycle as other plastics but it can be done. Though opinions differ.For pro try reconvynal and cons go to Earth 911

Safe or lethal? The debate….

Lethal

Toxic chemicals are most certainly used in its creation one of those is vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). VCM is a gas and a known carcinogen causing cancerous tumors in the brain, lungs, liver and various tissues in humans.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), found that early-era PVC (manufactured before 1977) could leach VCM into drinking water to levels that exceed the maximum contaminant level of 2 micrograms per liter of water.
Dioxins, which are lethal, are released if PVC is burnt in a low temperature fire such as an open fire or house fire.

The green movement argue that the toxins used to make PVC endanger those who work in the industry and can pollute the environment. They also claim that the toxins continue to leach out over the products lifetime putting the user at risk.

Safe

Supporters of PVC say that in the beginning manufacturers did not realise the dangers of VCM and since regulations were put in place in the 1970s those dangers have been minimised. They also claim that now the product is safe for users the chemicals are inert and no leaching has been detected.

If PVC is disposed of properly, then there is no risk of dioxins being released. Though of course this does not answer for house fires.

The argument is made more complex when phthalates are involved. Phthalates are a group of chemicals added to PVC (amongst other things), to make it more flexible. These chemicals are toxins and are not bound to the plastic. This means they are able to migrate out of plastic into the surrounding environment. That they do this is fairly well established. Whether they do so in amounts that could be dangerous or not,  is not so clear cut – but I bet you can guess which side believes what.

For an interesting summary of the debate read this article from Mother Earth News

This is from a man who works with PVC in his family business

And this is from Greenpeace

Recycling & Biodegradability

PVC does not biodegrade

PVC is not as easy to recycle as other plastics but it can be done. Though opinions differ.For pro try reconvynal and cons go to Earth 911

There’s lots more on the different plastics and what they are used for  HERE

Find out about all plastic, the boycott  and us  here

What’s in a PET bottle?

by Posted in 1.2 Plastic The Product Tagged , , 9 Comments

I am lucky enough to live in a country that supplies clean drinkable tap water so obviously I don’t need to buy bottled water there. However we spend a lot of time in countries where drinking the tap water is not recommended. Bottled water is seen as the only way to go. We disagree. Bonkers? Maybe, but have you considered all the issues – lets start with the bottle.

Most of the plastic bottles water is sold in are made from Plastic #1  Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET  is considered generally safe but there are a few issues you should be aware of:

Antimony  is used in the manufacture of PET. This is a heavy metal and one “that poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water” . There is evidence that antimony leaches from the plastic bottle into the contents.

The following is an edited extract from Westoffs research in to antimony in plastic bottles.

“Antimony concentrations in the bottled waters ranged from 0.095 to 0.521 ppb, well below the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 6 ppb…. However, storage at higher temperatures had a significant effect on the time-dependent release of antimony…. and could result in an antimony concentration of 376 ppb. …only a small fraction of the antimony in PET plastic bottles is released into the water. Still, the use of alternative types of plastics that do not leach antimony should be considered, especially for climates where exposure to extreme conditions.”  That means hot countries.

You can read the full report here …. and there is more …..

PETs claim to be a safe plastic is based on the fact that it does not contain BPA a known endocrine disrupter. But scientists at Goethe University in Frankfurt claim that other as yet unidentified estrogenic compounds do leach from PET plastic into the water. Lead researcher Martin Wagner said “What we found was really surprising to us, if you drink water from plastic bottles, you have a high probability of drinking estrogenic compounds.” Interested? read  here

And Mr. Sax agrees and  asserts that phthalates are present in PET bottles.  You can read his research here

Then there is  acetaldehyde. This isn’t so much a health issue as one of taste. Acetaldehyde is used in the manufacturing process and can  sometimes end up in the plastic by mistake. It has a strong taste and chemical odor that is detectable in parts 10 to a billion. When you say Coke tastes better from a glass bottle this may be why.

In many countries PET water bottles need to maintain a known composition. This means that they cannot be made from recycled plastics but have to use fresh, virgin oil that could be put to better use. In other countries, countries  that don’t have such stringent regulations, bottles may be made from recycled plastics. In fact “50+% of recycled #4 plastic was sold to developing nations in 2008. Many have much lower standards for their plastics and permit very contaminated plastics to be melted together and used in food packaging” find more ugly facts over at the Flotsam Diaries

Finally PET has a porous surface that allows bacteria and flavor to accumulate so don’t be using that bottle for too long.

In short I don’t want to drink from a bottle that harbors bacteria, leaches antimony and unidentified estrogenic compounds, that potentially contains vile tasting acetaldehyde and is possibly made from contaminated plastic, and we havn’t even got to the contents yet or how to dispose of the bottle.

Next up we will be looking at what’s actually in the bottle

So what do we drink?  We make our own clean water with our Steripen

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plastic kills plankton

by Posted in 2.1 reports, stats and studies Tagged , ,

Microplastics may be killing teeny, tiny beasties. Particles of plastic of 20 microns in diameter (a width thinner than a human hair) called micro plastics and are being found in the oceans in ever-increasing quantities.

College of the Atlantic senior Marina Garland has been studying the problem.

“According to Garland, lab studies have been conducted indicating that aquatic microorganisms such as plankton can also mistake micro plastic particles for food and subsequently be killed by the adverse effects of the particle on the organism’s digestive tract. Additionally, said Garland, various toxins are known to cling to plastic particles through a process known as adsorption. As a result, plastic flotsam collected from oceans is often a concentrated source for such toxic chemicals as the pesticide DDT. Microorganisms that ingest the toxic plastic particles are often consumed by larger organisms, which then become toxic themselves. The concentration of toxicity in marine organisms continues to increase at the higher levels of the food chain through a process known as biomagnification.”

You can see her presentation here

Find out more about micro plastics here

Image of plankton from Pinterest

 

 

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Yummy yummy hormone like chemicals

by Posted in 2.1 reports, stats and studies Tagged

leaching into your food………

The researchers bought more than 450 plastic items from stores including Walmart and Whole Foods. They chose products designed to come in contact with food — things like baby bottles, deli packaging and flexible bags, says George Bittner, one of the study’s authors and a professor of biology at the University of Texas, Austin.

Then CertiChem, a testing company founded by Bittner, chopped up pieces of each product and soaked them in either saltwater or alcohol to see what came out.

The testing showed that more than 70 percent of the products released chemicals that acted like estrogen. And that was before they exposed the stuff to real-world conditions: simulated sunlight, dishwashing and microwaving,

read more here

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Tin Cans, Plastic Liners & Health

by Posted in 1.4 Additives Fact Sheets Tagged , , , 15 Comments

So you think, no that you’ve given up plastic but at least you can buy stuff in tins. At least I did for a while. But sadly for me no most tins are plastic lined either with a polymer (plastic) coating or epoxy resin (also plastic) And this is tru for food, drink and even cosmetics.

Linings

Drinks
Aluminium drinks cans have a polymer plastic lining. It’s there to stop acids in the beverage from corroding the metal which is not good for the can or the flavor of the contents. If you don’t believe me, Check out this experiment, as done by Steve Spangler,

Food
Nearly all tin cans are plastic lined with epoxy resin.
Epoxy resins, are used because of their “exceptional combination of toughness, adhesion, formability and chemical resistance. These coatings make it possible for food products to maintain their quality and taste, while extending shelf life.
In tins the liner can be white or yellow or transparent in which case it is  undetectable.  In most cases it is best to assume that your can has a plastic liner.
It helps to prevent canned foods from becoming tainted or spoiled by bacterial contamination.

Read more “Metal food and beverage cans have a thin coating on the interior surface, which is essential to prevent corrosion of the can and contamination of food and beverages with dissolved metals UK FSA, 2002).”

Cosmetics
Tins used to store cosmetics are also lined with epoxy resin this time to prevent corrosion.

Recycling

You might wish to know that when the can is recycled, the liner is burnt off.

History

“The History of the Liner – Technicians at the American Can Company, even before Prohibition, began toying with the idea of putting beer in a can. As early as 1929, Anheuser-Busch and Pabst experimented with the canning process. Schlitzeven proposed a can design that looked like a small barrel.

The major problem the early researchers were confronted with, however, was not strength, but the can’s liner. Several years and most of the early research funds were spent to solve this perplexing problem. Beer has a strong affinity for metal, causing precipitated salts and a foul taste. The brewers called the condition “metal turbidity”.

The American Can Company produced the flat or punch top can in 1934. The lining was made from a Union Carbide product called “Vinylite”, a plastic product which was trademarked “keglined” on September 25, 1934.”

Bad for you?

You might not want to know that the lining contains Bisphenol A (BPA) a chemical building block that is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.
So what?? To cut a long story short it would seem that BPA is toxic and does leach from plastic liners into the food.

The Bisphenol A Organisation argues that it is in such small amounts as to be negligible.

Based on the results of the SPI study, the estimated dietary intake of BPA from can coatings is less than 0.00011 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. Stated another way, an average adult consumer would have to ingest more than 230 kilograms (or about 500 pounds) of canned food and beverages every day for an entire lifetime to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

It is true that several scientific panels including the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food, the National Toxicology Program and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis have concluded that the claims that low doses of BPA affect human health have not (yet ), been substantiated. While accepting that animal testing has produced adverse results, they can find no concrete evidence that humans will react the same way.

BUT BPA is now considered by many to be  a hormone disruptor, a chemical that alters the body’s normal hormonal activity. There are many counter claims on the internet and in the media  that BPA  is lethal. You can read all the arguments  here

Why  use BPA at all  you might ask ? Here’s some information from the bishenol-a.org

It must also be noted that  despite claims that BPA is as safe as safe, research is  ongoing into alternatives. And maybe they have found one. According to Food Production Daily

“Researchers in the United States have developed a chemical derived from sugar with the potential to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in a number of products, including the lining of food cans. The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) said Professor Michael Jaffe had received a US patent for an epoxy resin based on isosorbide diglycidyl ether that could make consumer products safer.

“The patent will enable us to create a family of isosorbide-based epoxy resins that have the potential to replace bisphenol A in a number of products including food can linings”, Jaffe told FoodProductionDaily.com.

Note  the statement by Food Production Daily that this will  make consumer products safer. And I hardly need say that the creators of this new product are clear in their statements that BPA is not a good thing.

Hmmm – the choice is yours. As for me I boycott nearly all tins and cans – tonic, tomatoes, coconut milk, tomato puree and baked beans are the exceptions. I don’t like the plastic or the BPA.

Related Articles

You can find more reports, studies and media scares on BPA here

And how to make epoxy resin here

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BPA

by Posted in 1.4 Additives Fact Sheets Tagged , , , 1 Comment

Bisphenol A or BPA is it is known to its chums is used in

  • some thermal paper products such as till receipts.
  • the epoxy plastic liners found in many cans and tins,
  • polycarbonate plastics used to make hard plastic for CDs, cell phones, car parts, medical devices, safety goggles
  • Plastic microwave oven ware, eating utensils and  bottles (including baby bottles).
  • Plastics  labelled with the number “7” identification code. HOWEVER not all plastics labelled with the number “7” contain BPA. The number “7” code is assigned to the “Other” category, which includes all plastics not otherwise assigned to categories 1-6.

The chemical was invented in the 1930s during the search for synthetic estrogens.  Diethylstilbestrol was found to be a more powerful estrogen, so bisphenol A was put to other uses. It was polymerized to form polycarbonate plastic and used to make a wide range of products including those listed above.

Over the years there have been an increasing number of claims that the polymer  is not stable. That, over time, BPA breaks down over time and releases hormones into whatever product it comes into contact with.  Research has indeed proved that  BPA can leach into food from the epoxy linings in cans or from polycarbonate bottles, and that the rate increases if the containers are heated i.e. babies bottle being sterilised or a tin being heated.

However additional studies are now suggesting that the ingestion of leached BPA could be harmful. In March 1998 for example a study in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) found that BPA simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer cells. A more recent study published in EHP shows a significant decrease of testosterone in male rats exposed to low levels of BPA. The study concludes that the new data is significant enough to evaluate the risk of human exposure to BPA.

BPA is now considered by many to be  a hormone disruptor, a chemical that alters the body’s normal hormonal activity.

In the last 10-15 years that concerns have been raised over its safety, particularly during pregnancy and for young babies.

In April 2008, the United States Department of Health and Human Services expressed concerns about it.

The Canadian government have just banned listed it a toxic substance and banned it from being used in baby bottles.

The following chart was taken from the very informative and interesting Wikkipedia article but you can find the same information all over the internet

Low dose exposure in animals

Dose (µg/kg/day) Effects (measured in studies of mice or rats,descriptions (in quotes) are from Environmental Working Group)[104][105] Study Year
0.025 “Permanent changes to genital tract” 2005[106]
0.025 “Changes in breast tissue that predispose cells to hormones and carcinogens” 2005[107]
1 long-term adverse reproductive and carcinogenic effects 2009[76]
2 “increased prostate weight 30%” 1997[108]
2 “lower bodyweight, increase of anogenital distance in both genders, signs of early puberty and longer estrus.” 2002[109]
2.4 “Decline in testicular testosterone” 2004[110]
2.5 “Breast cells predisposed to cancer” 2007[111]
10 “Prostate cells more sensitive to hormones and cancer” 2006[112]
10 “Decreased maternal behaviors” 2002[113]
30 “Reversed the normal sex differences in brain structure and behavior” 2003[114]
50 Adverse neurological effects occur in non-human primates 2008[44]
50 Disrupts ovarian development 2009[77]

 

So why the hell is BPA still being used  you might ask – between  nervously checking your genital tract and belting the kids.

‘BPA is such an easy chemical to make and it’s so useful,’ explains Tamara Galloway, a professor in ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter, UK.  ‘It is made from very cheap ingredients – acetone and phenol – and it makes a nice, clear, rigid polycarbonate and is really useful for making epoxy resins. ” Via Chemistry World .

According toPlasticsEurope, an association representing European plastic manufacturers, polycarbonate technology contributed €37 billion to the EU in 2007. And they state that more than 550,000 jobs in the EU depend – either directly or indirectly – on the production and use of polycarbonate. Via Chemistry World .

Also the science is by no means conclusive. It has become something of a cause with consumer and green groups who are vociferous in their opposition. Media  reporting tends to concentrate on the negative aspects of any new reports. Yet several scientific panels, including the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food, the National Toxicology Program and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, have all concluded that the claims that low doses of BPA affect human health have not (yet ), been substantiated. While accepting that animal testing has produced adverse results they can find no concrete evidence that humans will react the same way.

And even if they do, the amounts of BPA we ingest are so minimal as to be negligible.

In Europe, the tolerable daily intake for BPA is set at 0.05 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. This value is an estimate of the amount of a substance that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable risk. The figure was calculated in 2006 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), who at the same time stated that intakes of BPA through food and drink, for adults and children, were well below this value.Via Chemistry World .

The current U.S. human exposure limit set by the EPA is 50 µg/kg/day.

Which means, as the BPA industry’s voice over at to bishenol-a.org puts it

“Based on the results of the SPI study, the estimated dietary intake of BPA from can coatings is less than 0.00011 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. This level is more than 450 times lower than the maximum acceptable or “reference” dose for BPA of 0.05 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”

Which means an adult would have to eat  230 kilograms  of canned food and beverages every day of their life to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

As the toxicologists love to say – it’s not the poison but the dose…..

However, what is certain  is that  BPA is a $6 billion plus global industry. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 940,000 tons of BPA are produced in the U.S. per year. About 21% is used in epoxy resins and most of the rest goes to polycarbonate.

want to know more – this is another good read.

You can find reports, studies and media scares on BPA here

More bad BPA news

by Posted in 2.1 reports, stats and studies Tagged ,

Could sterilising plastic bottles in hot water do more harm than good? Scott Belcher and his colleagues at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio have found that polycarbonate plastic bottles release up to 55 times more bisphenol A (BPA) after they’ve been washed in boiling water.

BPA is found in many plastic food and drink containers and has been linked to breast and prostate cancer. Because they are often reused, Belcher wanted to test whether old containers leached BPA into their contents faster than new ones. His team filled new and used polycarbonate plastic bottles with water and kept them at room temperature for a week. They found that the rate of BPA release into the water by new and used bottles was an average of 0.49 nanograms an hour.

But when the team mimicked sterilisation by filling the bottles with boiling water and leaving them to cool, they found that the average rate of BPA release jumped to 18.67 nanograms per hour. This continued even after the bottles had cooled and been rinsed out (Toxicology Letters, DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2007.11.001).

While the levels of released BPA fall within safe limits as currently defined by the European Food Safety Authority, Belcher suggests switching to bottles made of high-density polyethylene as a precaution.

As reported in new scientist

Meanwhile Canada has already banned BPA in babaies bottles an American lawmakers are discussing banning BPA in childrens food products

More

“As staunch supporters of the anti-BPA campaign we were very pleased to see coverage in the British media last Friday of a new report linking BPA to breast cancer. The Daily Mail and the BBC both featured articles about Professor Anna Soto, an expert in cancer development ar the University of Ulster, who has recently carried out research on BPA . She is warning that BPA can trigger toxins which lead to cancer after discovering that foetal and neonatal exposure to the chemical increases the likelihood of development of malignant tumours later in life.

To read this artice in full including up to date reports from the BBC go to baby born free of baby born free feeding bottles. to quote the website “BornFree’s award winning leak proof BPA-Free baby bottles come in plastic (PES) or glass and feature an anti-colic vent designed for comfortable and safe feeding.”

More

In 1998, Dr. Patricia Hunt of Case Western University in Ohio discovered that damaged or worn or warm plastics made from polycarbonate resin can leach biphenyl. She is still studying the subject. You can read about her here….

More

Interesting article here

Teeguarden says that pM levels of BPA ought not to be a concern for us. This is because if the hypothesis that BPA causes harm by mimicking oestrogen is correct, then the dose of the chemical your average person receives everyday is 100 to 10,000 times lower than those needed to activate the hormone receptors. He also makes the point that the term ‘low dose’ has become somewhat debased in the BPA literature. When he looked at 130 animal studies using that term, the vast majority used BPA levels many times higher than a person would ever encounter in their diet. He says that this is more than just an academic point as it has contributed to confusion among toxicologists, epidemiologists and the general public.

More

B.P.A. Soup thats gross.

Heinz ‘committed’ to cutting health scare chemical BPA | News | The Grocer.

I am so glad I boycott tin cans

More

Find out more about BPA “here

Plasticisers

by Posted in 1.4 Additives Fact Sheets Tagged ,
  • are man-made organic chemicals;
  • They are added to plastic,to make it flexible, resilient and easier to handle:
  • They include endocrine disrupting and controversial phthalates:

Claims as to the number of plasticisers out there vary from  300 different types of plasticisers to approximately 50.  

Over the last 60 years more than 30,000 different substances have been evaluated for their plasticising properties. After meeting the rigorous performance, cost, availability, health and environmental requirements which are imposed by the market, users and regulators only 50 are in use.

The most common plasticisers include esters such as adipates, azelates, citrates, benzoates, orthophthalates, terephthalates, sebacates, and trimellitates.

In 1999, the global volume of plasticizers was approximate 10 billion lbs, or about $5 billion.The market has an average yearly growth rate of 2-3%.

Of the ester plasticizers, standard phthalate esters comprise over 85% or the tonnage produced every year. They command the market due to their low cost and easy availability. Other common plasticizers include specialty phthalate esters, adipates, and trimellitates (which are used for low-temperature applications).

Over 90% of the plasticizer volume produced every year goes into Poly(Vinyl Chloride), or PVC. This polymer is found in anything from food packaging to construction materials to toys to medical

Category Name Accronym Used in Classified
Acetate Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 1,2-propanediol, acetate Film and sheet, Food packaging – Cling Wrap
Adipates Di isobutyl adipate (DIBA) DIBA Not class.
Adipates Di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) DEHA Flooring, Wall coverings, Cladding and Roofing, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Inks and waxes, Food packaging – Cling Wrap, Toys Not class.
Adipates Di-isodecyl adipate (DIDA) DIDA Not class.
Adipates Di-isononyl adipate (DINA) DINA Adhesives & Sealants, Food packaging – Cling Wrap Not class.
Adipates Di-tridecyl adipate (DTDA) DTDA Not class.
Azelates Di-2-ethylhexyl azelate (DOZ) DOZ Not class.
Azelates Di-isodecyl azelate (DIDA) DIDA Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants
Benzoate Di-ethylene glycol dibenzoate Flooring Not class.
Benzoate Di-propylene glycol dibenzoate Flooring No harmonised C&L
Benzoate Isodecyl Benzoate (IDB) IDB Flooring, Wall coverings, Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants, Inks and waxes No harmonised C&L
Benzoate Isononyl Benzoate (INB) INB Not class.
Benzoate Isononyl Benzoate (INBB) INBB Flooring, Film and sheet Not class.
Benzoate Tri-ethylene glycol dibenzoate
Citrates acetyl tributyl citrate Food packaging – Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications
Citrates acetyl triethyl citrate Not class.
Citrates tri-2-ethylhexyl citrate Not class.
Citrates tributyl citrate Not class.
Citrates triethyl citrate Not class.
Cyclohexanoate Di-isononyl cyclohexane dicarboxylate (DINCH) DINCH Flooring, Wall coverings, Film and sheet, Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants, Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Food packaging – Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications Not class.
ESO epoxidised linseed oil (ELO) ELO Not class.
ESO epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) ESBO Automotive , Food packaging – Cling Wrap Not class.
Ester 1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-(1-oxobutoxy)-trihexyl ester (BTHC) BTHC Medical Applications
Ester 2,2′-ethylenedioxydiethyl-bis-(2-ethylhexanoate) Film and sheet
Ester Alkylsulphonic acid ester with phenol (ASE) ASE Adhesives & Sealants, Food packaging – Cling Wrap, Toys No harmonised C&L
Ester Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 1,2-propanediol, octyl ester Film and sheet, Food packaging – Cling Wrap
Ester Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol and 1,2-propanediol, isononyl ester Film and sheet, Food packaging – Cling Wrap
Ester Isosorbide Diesters Flooring, Food packaging – Cling Wrap
Ester Pentaerythritol ester of valeric acid Flooring, Automotive , Toys
Ester TXIB (2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3pentanediol di-isobutyrate) TXIB Flooring, Adhesives & Sealants, Toys
Glycerol ester Fully acetylated monoglyceride Food packaging – Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications Not class.
Orthophthalate Benzyl 3-isobutyryloxy-1-isopropyl-2,2-dimethylpropyl phthalate Coated Fabrics
Orthophthalate Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) BBP Flooring Repr. 1B Aquatic acute 1 Aquatic chronic 1
Orthophthalate Benzyl C7-9-branched and linear alkyl phthalate Flooring, Adhesives & Sealants
Orthophthalate bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) DEHP Repr. 1B
Orthophthalate Butyl cyclohexyl phthalate (BCP) BCP Not class.
Orthophthalate Butyl decyl phthalate (BDP) BDP Not class.
Orthophthalate Di(2-Propyl Heptyl) phthalate (DPHP) DPHP Flooring, Wall coverings, Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics Not class.
Orthophthalate Di(n-octyl) phthalate (DNOP) DNOP Not class.
Orthophthalate Di-C16-18 alkyl phthalate Cables and wires
Orthophthalate Di-isotridecyl phthalate
Orthophthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) DBP Flooring, Automotive , Inks and waxes Repr. 1B Acute aquatic 1

 
Orthophthalate Di-n-hexyl phthalate (DNHP) DNHP No harm. C&L RAC opinion: Repr. 1B; H360FD
Orthophthalate Di-n-pentyl phthalate (DNPP) DNPP Repr. 1B Aquatic acute 1
Orthophthalate Di-n-propyl phthalate (DPP) DPP No harmonised C&L
Orthophthalate Diallyl phthalate (DAP) DAP Acute tox. 4 Aquatic acute 1 Aquatic chronic 1
Orthophthalate Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) Flooring, Toys No harm. C&L Reg.of intention: Repr. 1B; H360FD Skin Sens. 1; H317
Orthophthalate Diethyl phthalate (DEP) DEP Not class.
Orthophthalate Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) DIBP Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants, Inks and waxes Repr. 1B
Orthophthalate Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) DIDP Flooring, Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Inks and waxes Not class.
Orthophthalate Diisoheptyl phthalate (DIHP) DIHP Repr. 1B
Orthophthalate Diisohexyl phthalate (DHP) DHP RAC opinion: Repr. 1B, H360FD
Orthophthalate Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) DINP Flooring, Wall coverings, Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Inks and waxes Not class.
Orthophthalate Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) DIOP No harmonised C&L
Orthophthalate Diisotridecyl phthalate (DTDP) DTDP Cables and wires, Automotive Not class.
Orthophthalate Diisoundecyl phthalate (DIUP) DIUP Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Automotive Not class.
Orthophthalate Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) DMP Not class.
Orthophthalate Ditridecyl phthalate (DTDP) DTDP Not class.
Orthophthalate Diundecyl phthalate (DUP) DUP Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires Not class.
Orthophthalate n-Octyl n-decyl phthalate (ODP) ODP Not class.
Phosphate ester 2-ethyhexyl diphenyl phosphate Not class.
Phosphate ester TPP (Triphenyl phosphate) TPP Flooring, Wall coverings
Phosphate ester Tris (2-ethylhexyl) phosphate Not class.
Sebacates Di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate (DOS) DOS Not class.
Sebacates Di-isodecyl Sebacate (DIDS) DIDS Not class.
Sebacates Dibutyl sebacate (DBS) DBS
Sebacates Dimethyl sebacate (DMS) DMS Adhesives & Sealants
Terephthalate Di iso Butyl terephthalate (DBT) DBT Adhesives & Sealants Not class.
Terephthalate Di octyl terephthalate (DOTP or DEHTP) DOTP Flooring, Food packaging – Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications Not class.
Trimellitate Tris-2-ethyhexyl trimellitate Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Medical Applications Not class.

Most Common Phthalates In Use (Wikkipedia)

Name Abbreviation Structural formula Molecular weight (g/mol) CAS No.
Dimethyl phthalate DMP C6H4(COOCH3)2 194.18 131-11-3
Diethyl phthalate DEP C6H4(COOC2H5)2 222.24 84-66-2
Diallyl phthalate DAP C6H4(COOCH2CH=CH2)2 246.26 131-17-9
Di-n-propyl phthalate DPP C6H4[COO(CH2)2CH3]2 250.29 131-16-8
Di-n-butyl phthalate DBP C6H4[COO(CH2)3CH3]2 278.34 84-74-2
Diisobutyl phthalate DIBP C6H4[COOCH2CH(CH3)2]2 278.34 84-69-5
Butyl cyclohexyl phthalate BCP CH3(CH2)3OOCC6H4COOC6H11 304.38 84-64-0
Di-n-pentyl phthalate DNPP C6H4[COO(CH2)4CH3]2 306.40 131-18-0
Dicyclohexyl phthalate DCP C6H4[COOC6H11]2 330.42 84-61-7
Butyl benzyl phthalate BBP CH3(CH2)3OOCC6H4COOCH2C6H5 312.36 85-68-7
Di-n-hexyl phthalate DNHP C6H4[COO(CH2)5CH3]2 334.45 84-75-3
Diisohexyl phthalate DIHxP C6H4[COO(CH2)3CH(CH3)2]2 334.45 146-50-9
Diisoheptyl phthalate DIHpP C6H4[COO(CH2)4CH(CH3)2]2 362.50 41451-28-9
Butyl decyl phthalate BDP CH3(CH2)3OOCC6H4COO(CH2)9CH3 362.50 89-19-0
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP, DOP C6H4[COOCH2CH(C2H5)(CH2)3CH3]2 390.56 117-81-7
Di(n-octyl) phthalate DNOP C6H4[COO(CH2)7CH3]2 390.56 117-84-0
Diisooctyl phthalate DIOP C6H4[COO(CH2)5CH(CH3)2]2 390.56 27554-26-3
n-Octyl n-decyl phthalate ODP CH3(CH2)7OOCC6H4COO(CH2)9CH3 418.61 119-07-3
Diisononyl phthalate DINP C6H4[COO(CH2)6CH(CH3)2]2 418.61 28553-12-0
Di(2-propylheptyl) phthalate DPHP C6H4[COOCH2CH(CH2CH2CH3)(CH2)4CH3]2 446.66 53306-54-0
Diisodecyl phthalate DIDP C6H4[COO(CH2)7CH(CH3)2]2 446.66 26761-40-0
Diundecyl phthalate DUP C6H4[COO(CH2)10CH3]2 474.72 3648-20-2
Diisoundecyl phthalate DIUP C6H4[COO(CH2)8CH(CH3)2]2 474.72 85507-79-5
Ditridecyl phthalate DTDP C6H4[COO(CH2)12CH3]2 530.82 119-06-2
Diisotridecyl phthalate DIUP C6H4[COO(CH2)10CH(CH3)2]2 530.82 68515-47-9

 

Polystyrene

by Posted in 1.3 Plastic Types - Fact Sheets Tagged , 1 Comment

Polystyrene is used to make

  • coffee cups
  • soup bowls and salad boxes
  • foam egg cartons; produce & meat trays
  • disposable utensils
  • packing “peanuts”
  • foam inserts that cushion new appliances and electronics
  • television and computer cabinets
  • compact disc “jewel boxes” and audiocassette cases

It is also used as a building material, with electrical appliances (light switches and plates), and in other household items.

Polystyrene (Styrofoam in the USA) is a strong plastic created from erethylene and benzine that can be injected, extruded or blow molded, making it a very useful and versatile manufacturing material.Read more here
Styrene is primarily a synthetic chemical that is used extensively in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and resins. It is also known as vinylbenzene, ethenylbenzene, cinnamene, or phenylethylene.

Derived from petroleum and natural gas by-products, styrene helps create thousands of remarkably strong, flexible, and light-weight products that represent a vital part of our health, safety and well-being. Probably the most recognizable material is polystyrene, often encountered as expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). Other styrene-based materials include acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and unsaturated polyester resin (UPR), which is better known as fiberglass. The styrene information and research center

Thousands of small units of styrene, called monomers, link together to form large molecules of polystyrene by a process called polymerisation.

Expanded polystyrene starts as small spherical beads with a typical diameter of 0.5-1.5mm. They contain an expanding agent;When the beads are heated with steam, the agent starts to boil, the polymer softens and the beads expand to about forty times their initial size. After a maturing period to equilibrate temperature and pressure, the pre-foamed beads, which now have a closed cellular foam structure, are placed in a mould and again reheated with steam. The mould can be designed to meet any requirements of the customer. The pre-foamed beads expand further, completely fill the mould cavity and fuse together. When moulded, nearly all the volume of the EPS foam (in fact 98%) is air. This is what makes EPS so lightweight and buoyant.

Taken from the styromelt website

It contains styrene which is according to some is  a toxic carcinogen that  leaches  from the container into the contents – your coffee for example – try this site for an in depth discussion of the issue.

The styrene information and research center ( representing the industy) has this to say on the subject “in 1989 OSHA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reviewed the health data on styrene and concluded that styrene does not pose any cancer risk. An international panel of experts from the 12-nation European Community reached the same conclusion in 1988. Canada decided in 1994 that styrene posed no carcinogenic risk. A draft 1996 risk assessment of styrene by the Health & Safety Executive of the United Kingdom also concluded that styrene does not pose a carcinogenic threat.

In 1987, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) upgraded styrene’s classification to a “possible” human carcinogen. Many scientists have disputed this action because it was not based on new cancer data, but resulted from changes in the criteria for IARC classifications. ”

However it is on the hazardous substances list

REASON FOR CITATION
* Styrene Monomer is on the Hazardous Substance List because it
is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, NIOSH, DOT, DEP, NFPA
and EPA.
* This chemical is also on the Special Health Hazard Substance
List because it is a MUTAGEN, FLAMMABLE, and REACTIVE.

Safe levels of exposure have to be maintained and OSHA  also state “Health effects of styrene include irritation of the skin, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract. Acute exposure may also result in gastrointestinal effects. Chronic exposure affects the central nervous system showing symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue, weakness, and may cause minor effects on kidney function. ”

Styrene is listed by the EU as a potential endocrine disruptor.

As with all plastics it  lasts an incredibly long time. Consequently plastic cups and clam shells can be seen littering the environment the world over.

Microplastic Polution

Tiny polystyrene globules from degraded products mix forever with the sand.

In the old days in couldnt be recyled; now it can but facilities are limited. Though of course that may well change in the future.

As with all plastic polystyrene does not biodegrade. Instead it hangs around for years creating everlasting litter and problomatic pollution. BUT the boffs are working on the problem and here are their solutions

Recycling

Polystyrene is difficult to recycle. Difficult but not impossible …

For those of you who insist on using polystyrene cups you can out more about recycling them here.

For the other stuff there is a  process for recycling  polystyrene that uses  the styromelt system.

 

Polystyrene and the OZONE LAYER

There are other issues with polystyrene the expanding agent that causes the styrene to puff up affects the ozone layer

However, despite EPF’s popularity and unique features, it has recently come under attack because of the gaseous methane derivatives—chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—used to foam it. CFCs are inert, and harmless to humans and the environment upon their release. However, long after their first use, scientists realized that CFCs contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer as they decompose. The ozone layer is a layer of the atmosphere that protects the earth against harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. In 1988 representatives from 31 nations signed the Montreal Protocol, a treaty with which they resolved to halve CFC production by 1998. This agreement brought EPF to the world’s consciousness as a threat to the ozone layer. While foam packaging is responsible for less than three percent of the CFCs being released into the atmosphere, EPF reduction has been targeted as a way to lower CFC levels, and new technology that explores ways to produce EPF without CFCs has flourished.

see  answers website

the expanding agent now used is “a pure hydrocarbon, which does not contain any halogens and does not damage the earth’s protective ozone layer.” Taken from the styromelt website

However environmentalists disagree see rebuttal

As with all plastic the arguments are split between the producers and the environmentalists and can be very basically summarised as follows: superlative product with a myriad of wonderful applications, recyclable and above all completely inert and safe as opposed to consumerism gone mad and leacher of carcinogenic chemicals.

But whichever your school of thought all agree that its looks nasty, is polluting the environment and lasts a very long time. So lets not use it to make throw away items.

Clingfilm/ Saranwrap, foodwrap and poisons

by Posted in 1.2 Plastic The Product Tagged , , 4 Comments

Not being much of a Suzy Home maker I have hardly ever in my life bought cling film. Rather glad now I’ve found out that PVC is added to most food wrap film  to make it more clingy. Though there are some films that do not contain it such as LDPE cling film.

PVC clingfilm contains Phthalates. These are added to make the plastic stretchy.

They have also been linked to possible birth defects and asthma and other nasty things.

And it gets better. PVC is known as the “poison plastic”. Toxic chemicals are used in its creation. One of those is vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). VCM is a gas and a known carcinogen causing cancerous tumors in the brain, lungs, liver and various tissues in humans.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is  a chlorinated plastic 2011-22.7 changmai 2 (49)

Dioxins are unintentionally, but unavoidably produced during the manufacture of materials containing chlorine, this includes halogenated plastics, i.e made from chlorine or fluorine.

Burning these plastics can release dioxins.

Dioxin is a known human carcinogen and the most potent synthetic carcinogen ever tested in laboratory animals.

This means that that clingfilm is hard to recycle as it gives off nasty and dangerous fumes.

PVC cling film is not at the moment recycled – not that it cant be but that it is not as easy to recycle as LDPE clingfilm (film with out PVC)

According to some it is almost impossible to tell PVC clingfilm and polythene cling film apart.

PVC cling film is often used in the food industry.

China produces large amounts of PVC clingfilm.

Foodplast -( they make food wrap) – say sure leaching happens but the levels are completely safe.

How to cut the cling film

Am I teaching my granmother to suck eggs?

  • Keep it in a bowl with a plate on top.
  • Use a re-usable container with sealable lid.
  • Kilner jars (glass) are good and come in all sizes.
  • Get a sandwich box.
  • Don’t ever believe that wrapping your legs in plastic will burn any more calories than the energy it takes to wrap your legs in plastic.

Antimony in the bottle, in the contents

by Posted in 1 ABOUT PLASTIC Tagged

Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2011 Jan;28(1):115-26. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2010.530296

Migration of antimony from PET bottles into beverages: determination of the activation energy of diffusion and migration modelling compared with literature data.

It was concluded that antimony levels in beverages due to migration from PET bottles manufactured according to the state of the art can never reach or exceed the European-specific migration limit of 40 microg kg(-1). Maximum migration levels caused by room-temperature storage even after 3 years will never be essentially higher than 2.5 microg kg(-1) and in any case will be below the European limit of 5 microg kg(-1) for drinking water. The results of this study confirm that the exposure of the consumer by antimony migration from PET bottles into beverages and even into edible oils reaches approximately 1% of the current tolerable daily intake (TDI) established by World Health Organisation (WHO). Having substantiated such low antimony levels in PET-bottled beverages, the often addressed question on oestrogenic effects caused by antimony from PET bottles appears to be groundless.

Water Res. 2008 Feb;42(3):551-6. Epub 2007 Aug 6.

Antimony leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water.

Westerhoff P, Prapaipong P, Shock E, Hillaireau A.

Antimony is a regulated contaminant that poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water. Previous reports suggest that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics used for water bottles in Europe and Canada leach antimony, but no studies on bottled water in the United States have previously been conducted. Nine commercially available bottled waters in the southwestern US (Arizona) were purchased and tested for antimony concentrations as well as for potential antimony release by the plastics that compose the bottles. The southwestern US was chosen for the study because of its high consumption of bottled water and elevated temperatures, which could increase antimony leaching from PET plastics. Antimony concentrations in the bottled waters ranged from 0.095 to 0.521 ppb, well below the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 6 ppb. The average concentration was 0.195+/-0.116 ppb at the beginning of the study and 0.226+/-0.160 ppb 3 months later, with no statistical differences; samples were stored at 22 degrees C. However, storage at higher temperatures had a significant effect on the time-dependent release of antimony. The rate of antimony (Sb) release could be fit by a power function model (Sb(t)=Sb 0 x[Time, h]k; k=8.7 x 10(-6)x[Temperature ( degrees C)](2.55); Sb 0 is the initial antimony concentration). For exposure temperatures of 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 degrees C, the exposure durations necessary to exceed the 6 ppb MCL are 176, 38, 12, 4.7, 2.3, and 1.3 days, respectively. Summertime temperatures inside of cars, garages, and enclosed storage areas can exceed 65 degrees C in Arizona, and thus could promote antimony leaching from PET bottled waters. Microwave digestion revealed that the PET plastic used by one brand contained 213+/-35 mgSb/kg plastic; leaching of all the antimony from this plastic into 0.5L of water in a bottle could result in an antimony concentration of 376 ppb. Clearly, only a small fraction of the antimony in PET plastic bottles is released into the water. Still, the use of alternative types of plastics that do not leach antimony should be considered, especially for climates where exposure to extreme conditions can promote antimony release from PET plastics.

Taken from the thegreenguide click here to visit

#1 PETE plastic water bottles have been shown to leach antimony into water. A recent study conducted by University of Heidelberg researcher Bill Shotyk, and published in the January 2006 Journal of Environmental Monitoring, found antimony levels in PETE water bottles were higher than levels found where the water was sourced. According to Shotyk, consumers should not be concerned about drinking water bottled in PETE plastic, as the levels found in water are below safe drinking standards. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that leaving water in any plastic bottle for a prolonged period of time allows for chemical leaching to occur.