Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Update Date: 2010/08/10 04:11 [Reporters Wang Changmin, Lin Jiayi, Chen Yongji]
The latest domestic research has found that "plasticizers," commonly added to plastics, are "environmental hormones." Long-term excessive exposure can not only disrupt endocrine functions but may also lead to feminized behavioral tendencies in boys and symptoms of precocious puberty in girls. The Department of Health will regulate the use of plasticizers in plastic containers.
**Avoid Heating Plastic Containers and Utensils**
Plastic products are almost ubiquitous in daily life, appearing not only in containers, tableware, household items, and toys but also in perfumes and cosmetics as "fixatives." Although the Department of Health has banned their use in cosmetics, scholars last year still detected high levels in nail polish. Therefore, Li Junzhang, director of the Environmental Trace Toxins Research Center at National Cheng Kung University, urgently advises: "It’s best not to microwave, heat, or use plastic containers and utensils for hot food." According to research from National Cheng Kung University, microwaving plastic lunch boxes commonly used by those who eat out can increase the leaching of plasticizers by three to five times.
A research team led by Wang Shuli, a researcher at the National Health Research Institutes' Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, has been conducting long-term tracking since 2001 on over 200 mother-child pairs. They tested the blood and urine of mothers during pregnancy and their children at ages zero, two, and five, comparing the levels of five major plasticizers—such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)—with changes in male hormone concentrations.
The results showed that higher concentrations of plasticizers in pregnant women correlated with higher levels in fetuses and lower male hormone concentrations. If exposure to plasticizers continues, by age five, behavioral assessment scales indicated that boys with higher exposure were more likely to exhibit feminized tendencies, such as preferring dolls, jewelry, and other feminine toys, or favoring female roles like princesses.
**Plasticizers Have Reproductive Toxicity**
The European Union has classified plasticizers as reproductive toxins, meaning people must guard against their harm from the womb. Li Junzhang pointed out that pregnant women with high plasticizer levels are prone to decreased thyroid hormones, indirectly affecting fetal central nervous system development. Taiwan ranks among the highest globally for plasticizer concentrations in pregnant women.
Recent research from National Cheng Kung University also found that excessive exposure to plasticizers can lead to "demasculinization" in baby girls, such as a shortened distance between the urethra and anus. Girls under eight may also experience symptoms of precocious puberty, including early breast development and menstruation.
Additionally, many people assume that plastic bags, cling film, and plastic tableware are safe as long as they don’t hold hot soup or food. However, Li Junzhang warns that plasticizers are "lipophilic," meaning they can leach out even without high temperatures—just contact with oil is enough. Therefore, plastic containers should also avoid oily foods.
**Plasticizers Leach Easily with Oil**
Chen Meilian, a professor at Yangming University’s Institute of Environmental Health, tested hundreds of commercially available plastic tableware last year. Using "n-heptane" to simulate oil, she found that even at room temperature (25°C), more plasticizers leached out, with PVC cling film being the worst. She recommends banning it altogether. Other types of cling film should also avoid direct contact with food and never be used for microwaving.
Household dust can also contain plasticizers. Since young children frequently touch floors, they are more likely to ingest plasticizers through dust. Regular cleaning at home is advised.
The Department of Health has proposed amendments to the "Hygienic Standard for Food Utensils, Containers, and Packaging," setting limits for DEHP and DBP leaching in "n-heptane" at 1.5 ppm and 0.3 ppm, respectively.
Xie Tianren, chairman of the Consumers’ Foundation, criticized that plasticizer harm is a long-standing issue, but the government has never taken it seriously.Xie Tianren pointed out that plastic bottles made of different materials, whether for water or juice, have varying degrees of heat and acid resistance. Taking plastic travel cups or containers as an example, merely labeling them with "numbers one to seven" on the bottle is essentially "labeling for experts." How would the general public understand the meaning of these numbers? Manufacturers should clearly indicate "suitable food contents" and "correct usage methods."
The plastics industry stated that the effects of plasticizers on the human body remain inconclusive internationally, and current research only suggests they "may" interfere with endocrine functions. Before making policy decisions, the government should listen to industry voices. If plasticizers "truly" harm human health, manufacturers would also abandon their use.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 100810/ 78/ 2at0p. html
Endocrine Disruptors Feminize Boys
The latest domestic research has found that "plasticizers," commonly added to plastics, are "environmental hormones." Long-term excessive exposure can not only disrupt endocrine functions but may also lead to feminized behavioral tendencies in boys and symptoms of precocious puberty in girls. The Department of Health will regulate the use of plasticizers in plastic containers.
**Avoid Heating Plastic Containers and Utensils**
Plastic products are almost ubiquitous in daily life, appearing not only in containers, tableware, household items, and toys but also in perfumes and cosmetics as "fixatives." Although the Department of Health has banned their use in cosmetics, scholars last year still detected high levels in nail polish. Therefore, Li Junzhang, director of the Environmental Trace Toxins Research Center at National Cheng Kung University, urgently advises: "It’s best not to microwave, heat, or use plastic containers and utensils for hot food." According to research from National Cheng Kung University, microwaving plastic lunch boxes commonly used by those who eat out can increase the leaching of plasticizers by three to five times.
A research team led by Wang Shuli, a researcher at the National Health Research Institutes' Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, has been conducting long-term tracking since 2001 on over 200 mother-child pairs. They tested the blood and urine of mothers during pregnancy and their children at ages zero, two, and five, comparing the levels of five major plasticizers—such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)—with changes in male hormone concentrations.
The results showed that higher concentrations of plasticizers in pregnant women correlated with higher levels in fetuses and lower male hormone concentrations. If exposure to plasticizers continues, by age five, behavioral assessment scales indicated that boys with higher exposure were more likely to exhibit feminized tendencies, such as preferring dolls, jewelry, and other feminine toys, or favoring female roles like princesses.
**Plasticizers Have Reproductive Toxicity**
The European Union has classified plasticizers as reproductive toxins, meaning people must guard against their harm from the womb. Li Junzhang pointed out that pregnant women with high plasticizer levels are prone to decreased thyroid hormones, indirectly affecting fetal central nervous system development. Taiwan ranks among the highest globally for plasticizer concentrations in pregnant women.
Recent research from National Cheng Kung University also found that excessive exposure to plasticizers can lead to "demasculinization" in baby girls, such as a shortened distance between the urethra and anus. Girls under eight may also experience symptoms of precocious puberty, including early breast development and menstruation.
Additionally, many people assume that plastic bags, cling film, and plastic tableware are safe as long as they don’t hold hot soup or food. However, Li Junzhang warns that plasticizers are "lipophilic," meaning they can leach out even without high temperatures—just contact with oil is enough. Therefore, plastic containers should also avoid oily foods.
**Plasticizers Leach Easily with Oil**
Chen Meilian, a professor at Yangming University’s Institute of Environmental Health, tested hundreds of commercially available plastic tableware last year. Using "n-heptane" to simulate oil, she found that even at room temperature (25°C), more plasticizers leached out, with PVC cling film being the worst. She recommends banning it altogether. Other types of cling film should also avoid direct contact with food and never be used for microwaving.
Household dust can also contain plasticizers. Since young children frequently touch floors, they are more likely to ingest plasticizers through dust. Regular cleaning at home is advised.
The Department of Health has proposed amendments to the "Hygienic Standard for Food Utensils, Containers, and Packaging," setting limits for DEHP and DBP leaching in "n-heptane" at 1.5 ppm and 0.3 ppm, respectively.
Xie Tianren, chairman of the Consumers’ Foundation, criticized that plasticizer harm is a long-standing issue, but the government has never taken it seriously.Xie Tianren pointed out that plastic bottles made of different materials, whether for water or juice, have varying degrees of heat and acid resistance. Taking plastic travel cups or containers as an example, merely labeling them with "numbers one to seven" on the bottle is essentially "labeling for experts." How would the general public understand the meaning of these numbers? Manufacturers should clearly indicate "suitable food contents" and "correct usage methods."
The plastics industry stated that the effects of plasticizers on the human body remain inconclusive internationally, and current research only suggests they "may" interfere with endocrine functions. Before making policy decisions, the government should listen to industry voices. If plasticizers "truly" harm human health, manufacturers would also abandon their use.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 100810/ 78/ 2at0p. html