Report Finds Plastic Chemicals Are Causing Infertility

Written by Naveen Athrappully on January 20, 2024. Posted in Current News

Many of the foods consumed by Americans are contaminated with harmful plastic chemicals that contribute to health complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and infertility, according to a recent report by the nonprofit group Consumer Reports (CR).

Researchers examined the foods for the presence of plasticizers—a chemical used to boost the durability of plastics. The group analyzed two to three samples from each food item, looking for two types of common plasticizers—bisphenols and phthalates—as well as some of their substitutes.

They found that these chemicals remained “widespread” in our food products despite “growing evidence” of health risks. CR discovered that 79 percent of tested samples had bisphenols, while 84 out of 85 items had phthalates.

Exposure to such plasticizers can cause severe health issues, such as the potentially negative effects on the brain and prostate glands of children, as well as their behavior, caused by bisphenol A (BPA) exposure. BPA has also been linked with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure.

Phthalates have been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, lower sperm motility and concentration, early puberty in girls, and cancer.

Both bisphenols and phthalates have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, meaning that they can interfere with the generation and regulation of hormones. Disruptions to hormone levels can lead to cardiovascular disease, infertility, diabetes, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Exposure to these chemicals can come from the environment, food, and packaging—from dust in a house to the printed receipt from a grocery store.

CR found that the levels of BPA and other bisphenols were “notably lower” compared to when the group last tested for BPA in 2009. This suggests that “we are at least moving in the right direction on bisphenols,” said James E. Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at the organization.

However, there wasn’t “any good news” on phthalates. Not only were they present in almost all of the tested foods, but their levels were also “much higher” compared to bisphenols.

“Many of these thresholds do not reflect the most current scientific knowledge, and may not protect against all the potential health effects,” Tunde Akinleye, the CR chemist who oversaw the tests, said. “We don’t feel comfortable saying these levels are okay. … They’re not.”

For instance, some studies have associated high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and reproductive issues with phthalates even when the level of the plasticizer was below the thresholds set by European and U.S. authorities, CR noted.

Because people can be exposed in a wide range of ways, it can be difficult to quantify a safe limit for the chemicals in any single food.

“The more we learn about these chemicals, including how widespread they are, the more it seems clear that they can harm us even at very low levels,” Mr. Akinleye said.

“Although BPA, BPS, and BPF share similar chemical properties, BPS and BPF are not safe alternatives for BPA,” it warned.

Overall, childhood phthalate exposure was associated with a 20 percent higher risk of childhood cancer. The risk of developing lymphoma or blood cancer doubled, while the risk of developing osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, rose by almost three times.

Source: Epoch Times

Please Donate Below To Support Our Ongoing Work To Defend The Scientific Method

PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX. 

Trackback from your site.