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Your Health Checkup: Plastics Good and Bad

“Your Health Checkup” is our online column by Dr. Douglas Zipes, an internationally acclaimed cardiologist, professor, author, inventor, and authority on pacing and electrophysiology. Dr. Zipes is also a contributor to The Saturday Evening Post print magazine. Subscribe to receive thoughtful articles, new fiction, health and wellness advice, and gems from our archive.

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A technician from a water analysis company recently visited our home to test our water supply. Fortunately, our water passed the test. Our discussion evolved to the plastic carriers used to contain water, and I learned about different health risks associated with different plastics.

I have written previously that we ingest about five grams of plastic each week in the form of nano- and micro-plastics. These are plastic particles smaller than five millimeters in size that contaminate our food, water, and even the air we breathe. Five grams is approximately the amount of plastic in a single credit card.

What I learned from the technician was that plastic containers are stamped with a numbers guide that identifies the type of plastic and its recyclability. Because substances in the plastic can leach out into the water and be ingested, the number — typically enclosed in a recycling symbol located at the side or bottom of the container — can be used to distinguish safer plastic from those not so safe.

Safety Guide for Plastics — (Shutterstock)

Plastic #1 contains polyethylene terephthalate used to package a variety of substances including cosmetics, household cleaners, water, juice, soft drinks, salad dressings, peanut butter, and oil. High temperatures can leach out antimony and phthalates in the plastic, which are toxic to the body. This plastic container should be used with caution and not be reused.

Plastic #2 contains high-density polyethylene made from petroleum and can withstand high temperatures. It is used for packaging laundry detergent, milk jugs, and plastic bags. There appear to be no health concerns.

Plastic #3 is polyvinyl chloride, also known as vinyl and found in shower curtains, cling wrap, teething rings, toys, car interiors, vinyl flooring, and vinyl IV bags. It can leach out lead and phthalates among other things. It is toxic and products made from, or containing, polyvinyl chloride should be avoided.

Plastic #4 is low density polyethylene commonly used to produce grocery bags, food storage, juice and milk cartons. There appear to be no health concerns.

Plastic #5 is polypropylene commonly used for bottle caps, storage containers, plastic cups and baby bottles, kitchenware, yogurt cups, and margarine tubs and appears to have no health issues. While it is microwavable and dishwasher safe, that just means the plastic will not warp when heated. Glass containers are preferable when microwaving.

Plastic #6 is polystyrene, also known by the brand name Styrofoam, commonly used for disposable knives and forks, egg cartons, foam cups, and restaurant to-go packaging. Long term exposure can leach out chemicals that can cause cancer, neurologic or blood problems. Left over foods from a restaurant should be repackaged in glass or stainless-steel containers, and Styrofoam cups, plates, and plastic utensils should be avoided.

Plastic #7 is a catch-all category that includes a variety of plastics that may or may not contain bisphenol A (BPA), commonly used in making polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. BPA can be found in liquid infant formula cans, food storage containers, toys, and plastic baby bottles. It can mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen and cause a range of adverse actions. The letters PC may be present within the recycling symbol to indicate polycarbonate. This plastic should be avoided.

In summary, search for #2, #4, and #5 plastic products for the safest choices. Avoid exposing any plastic to high temperatures such as microwaving and dishwashing and wash by hand with a mild detergent. When possible, choose glass or stainless steel instead of plastic for all food containers.

My unplanned chat with the water technician led me to reconsider the use of plastic in general and specifically for food and beverage containers. Avoiding all plastic when possible seems like a reasonable but probably not doable conclusion. Therefore, search for the number inscribed on all plastics to avoid using numbers 1, 3, 6, and 7.

Featured image: Shutterstock

Your Health Checkup: How Much Plastic Are You Ingesting?

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Would you swallow your credit card? Not just one, but one credit card each week. Sounds crazy, no? But a new study is suggesting that we ingest five grams of plastic each week, which, by weight, is equivalent to the amount of plastic found in a single credit card. The idea is that nano- and microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimeters in size — are contaminating our food, water, and even the air we breathe.

The study from the University of Newcastle in Australia has concluded that we swallow an average of two thousand microplastic particles a week. The particles come from multiple sources such as artificial clothes fibers, some toothpastes, drinks like water and beer, and foods such as fish and shellfish that ingest plastic rubbish floating in the sea. Eating shellfish is said to be particularly worrisome since we consume the entire fish, including its digestive system, after it has spent its life in polluted seas. Importantly, the plastic may act like a sponge and concentrate other toxins found in the environment. The problem is global, but regional variations in the amount of contamination exist.

Estimates are that we ingest from 39,000 to 52,000 particles annually, depending on age and sex. The number increases to 74,000 and 121,000 when inhalation is also included. Very troubling is that I could be consuming almost 2,000 microplastic particles each week in my drinking water, bottled or tap, with twice as much plastic in United States waters than in European tap water. Most scary — since I drink only bottled water — is that I may be ingesting an additional 90,000 particles annually, compared to 4,000 microplastics for those who only drink tap water (Cox et al. Environ. Sci. Technol.201953127068-7074).

Estimates are that more than 330 million metric tons of plastic are produced annually around the world, an amount expected to triple over the next thirty years (). Almost eight million tons end up as trash in the ocean each year.

What can we do about it? Banning certain items made of plastic, such as straws, plastic bottles, cups, and shopping bags, can help. The United Kingdom has banned the manufacture of all products containing microbeads, one of the world’s toughest regulations. The U.S., Canada and other countries have also called for a ban on microbeads. Almost 200 countries have signed a U.N. resolution to eliminate plastic pollution in the sea.

Before I panic and throw out my entire bottled water supply, we need to stop and put it all into perspective. While there is no question that we can and should reduce the amount of plastic being produced, and that we should clean up our food and water supplies and especially the sea around us to protect marine life as well as ourselves, one may question the accuracy of some of the published data and the estimates given. For example, air contamination doesn’t take into consideration our body’s natural defenses to filter the air we breathe.

Most importantly, no clear health risk from plastic contamination has yet been established. That doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist, just that it hasn’t been found yet.

I often think about the line from the movie, The Graduate, when Mr. McGuire, a friend of Mrs. Robinson, corrals Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) at a party and says, “Just one word, Ben. Are you listening? Plastics.” He was right. Plastics have been a critically important development. But it’s now time to consider the environment, consider our health and that of our co-inhabitants, and wind them down as much as possible.

Featured image: Shutterstock