In 2011, news of health risks fromPlasticizergradually showed up in Taiwan. At that time, the concept of food safety had just begun to grow stronger in Taiwan. After this, people’s awareness of food safety has increased a lot. However, 10 years have passed, and there are still full of plasticizers around us. Please ask ourselves, have we really understood plasticizers and the health hazards it brings? Or are we just afraid to think of it while enjoying the convenience brought by civilization?

Plasticizer, refers to the high molecular polymers derived from the petrochemical agents. There are hundreds of types. By adding a small amount of plasticizer to the plastic material, we can increase the softness and toughness of the plastic, thereby improving convenience. In daily life, from building materials, furniture, to clothing, food packaging and pharmaceutical products, there are plasticizers.

Among all plasticizers,Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is the most widely used plasticizer and can be seen in the production process of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS). The following lists other common phthalate compounds, their urinary metabolites, and common sources of exposure:

【Metabolites and common exposure sources of plasticizers】

It is shown from the chart above that, in addition to the most common plastic bags and packaging, toys, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, medicines, furniture, building materials and other daily necessities all contain plasticizers.

Usage of Plasticizers is not only a food safety issue, but an environmental issue that affects daily life in an all-round way!

After understanding the potential distribution of plasticizers in life, we need to understand the impact of plasticizers on health.
The structure of plasticizer is similar to estrogen and has environmental hormonal properties(It means that substances outside the human body can interfere with the endocrine system). Plasticizers can affect endocrine, neurodevelopment and immune system, etc.Newborns, adolescent children and pregnant women are susceptible groups(Representing that under the same amount of exposure, there are more serious health hazards among these people). At present, there are many epidemiological evidences showing the related health hazards as follows:

【Diseases related to plasticizer exposure】

However, the level of health hazard risk also requires consideration of many factors, such as:

1. The amount of exposure dose (need to consider the average exposure, exposure time, exposure route, etc.)
2. Exposure to other chemicals.
3. Personal specificity (age, gender, nutritional status, family genetic history, lifestyle, etc.)

And what factors will affect the diffusion of plasticizers and lead to human exposure? Take food packaging as an example.Plastics and plasticizers are not connected by chemical bonds, but exist in a mixed state. The factors that affect the transfer of plasticizers from packaging materials include temperature, contact area between food and packaging materials, packaging material properties, and food composition, etc.The contact area between liquid foods and packaging materials is the largest; therefor, plasticizer transfer from packaging materials to food is easier for liquid foods than for solid foods. If the food contains oil or alcohol, plasticizer transfer will be more, because of the similar properties between the food and plasticizers. In addition, high temperature will also accelerate the diffusion of plasticizer. This is whyIt is not recommended to use plastic materials for fried food or hot soup. The characters of these foods, a large contact surface, grease, and high temperature, will increase the risk of plasticizer transfer to the food.

In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to the exposure of plasticizer through skin absorption due to prolonged use of products. For example, cosmetics and skin care products will be applied to the skin for a long time. Even if the transdermal absorption rate is far lower than the absorption rate of oral intake, the accumulated plasticizer exposure may still have significant health hazards after a long period of transdermal exposure (e.g. the concentration of plasticizer metabolites in urine is significantly related to the use of personal care products). Similarly, we also need to pay attention to the risk of long-term transdermal exposure from other products, such as sunscreen, lipstick, wax, etc.

Besides, long-term use of medicines and health supplements can also lead to exposure of plasticizers. However, we recommends that you should still use medicines or supplements according to your doctor’s instructions. Don't delay your medical treatment only because you want to avoid exposure to plasticizers. On the other hand, we may be exposed to plasticizers through inhaling plastic dusts from the shedding of aging environmental plastics.

So, is there any good way for us to reduce the exposure of plasticizers and achieve preventive effects? The following suggestions refers tothe medical informationfrom National Environmental Health Research Center:

【Tips for preventing plasticizer exposure】

1. Avoid using plastic bags/containers/wrapping for hot food storage, microwave heating, or steaming.
2. Avoid drinking commercial beverages with plastic containers, and try to use your own stainless steel cups or mugs more.
3. Balanced diet: low-fat and less fried foods; less animal fat and offal; eat more fresh fruits/vegetables/other whole food; drink more water and less sugary drinks.
4. When taking medicines or nutrition supplements, you should pay attention to whether there are food safety labels. It is recommended to discuss with your doctor or pharmacist to reduce unnecessary use.
5. Reduce the use of cosmetics (such as: barrier cream, perfume, lipstick, cream, nail polish, etc.). Please pay attention to the ingredients and container materials, and try to use personal hygiene products with natural ingredients and safe packaging. Especially pregnant women and infants should choose products more carefully.
6. Parents should avoid bringing hazardous materials home from the workplace through clothing or other supplies.
7. Avoid letting children crawl on the plastic floor (especially with PVC materials), and reduce their contact with plastic toys. The most important thing is to wash their hands frequently with soap.
8. For interior decoration, building materials with certifications are more preferred. Also, air circulation should always be kept, and the home environment must be cleaned regularly to reduce dust inhalation.
9. Maintain regular exercise habits to increase the metabolism.