Photo illustration by Carolyn Perot

Many BPA-free plastics may leach potentially harmful BPA chemicals. This is the dilemma that Mama Jones discussed in our exposure to the plastics industry earlier this year. But consumers have no way of knowing which items in their pantry may cause serious damage to their hormones. so far. A new paper in the journal "Environmental Health" identifies certain plastic products — including Avent baby bottles, CamelBak straw cups, and LOCK&LOCK food storage containers — which ooze chemicals that mimic estrogen. Perhaps more importantly, it also lists some hormone-free options. Between 2010 and 2013, scientists from the Austin private laboratory CertiChem tested 50 reusable BPA-free plastic containers. In most cases, they used a series of human breast cancer cells that reproduce in the presence of estrogen, and substances such as bisphenol A that mimic estrogen. Researchers have found that some products can leach hormone-changing chemicals even before they are exposed to conditions such as the heat of a dishwasher or microwave. It is well known that these conditions can unlock potentially toxic chemicals in plastics. Most containers will do this under certain circumstances. After being exposed to the ultraviolet light (UVA) used to sterilize baby bottles (UVC), more than three-quarters of the test containers released synthetic estrogen. The figure below shows the results of product sampling before and after UV exposure. Does your plastic bottle contain chemicals that change hormones? Estrogen activity before and after UV exposure Mild to moderately high Very high Product type Plastic before UV exposure After UV exposure Avent Polyethersulfone (PES) Not tested positive Natural free polyethersulfone (PES) Not tested positive Green growth polyethersulfone (PES) ) Negative Positive Evenflo Tritan Not Test Positive Weil Baby Tritan Negative Straw Cup CamelBak, Blue* Tritan Positive Positive Weil Baby Tritan Negative Positive Water Bottle CamelBak, Black Tritan Not Test Positive CamelBak, Blue Tritan Not Test Positive Nalgene, Blue* Tritan Negative Positive Negative * Tritan Negative Negative Topas Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) Negative Negative Zeonor Cyclic Olefin Polymer (COP) Negative Negative Other products Crate & Barrel wine glass, red * Acrylic positive electrode disposable cup Polystyrene (PS) positive electrode not tested Lock & Lock food container Tritan Positive Positive flip-top takeaway container* Polystyrene (PS) Posit ive Not tested* Tested with BG-1 battery Read information about this method. Source: George D. Bittner et al., Jaeah Lee’s environmental health chart. Many of the above items are advertised as healthy alternatives to plastics containing BPA and hormone-changing chemicals called phthalates. Born Free markets its baby products as "a natural choice for mothers who want a safe and calm experience every time they feed their babies." Weil Baby claims that its baby bottles are made of "ultra-safe" "revolutionary new materials". After UV exposure, CertiChem's research found that the products of both companies will extract potent synthetic estrogen. (Born Free declined to comment on these findings, but Laura Monaghan, the company’s senior director of brand development, said via email, “Born Free products meet all applicable federal safety standards and are tested by an independent third-party laboratory to confirm compliance. Sexuality.” Weil Lifestyle stated that it terminated its license agreement with the company that produces Weil baby bottles in 2011, although these products are still on the market.) The study did not specify the chemical substances involved, nor did it disclose how they were. Affect human health. However, a 2012 literature review of 12 well-known scientists found that “a large amount of evidence” showed that hormone-changing chemicals are destructive, even in small doses. BPA is the most studied estrogen mimetic compound and is associated with a long list of diseases, including asthma, cancer, infertility, low sperm count, heart disease, liver problems, and hyperactivity. In some cases, this effect seems to be hereditary, which means that this chemical will reprogram a person's genes and cause disease in offspring​​. Weil Baby claims that its baby bottles are made of "ultra-safe" "revolutionary new materials". But after UV exposure, they will leach potent synthetic estrogen. However, the news is not all bad news. CertiChem's research also named several products that do not contain estrogen activity, including green Nalgene water bottles (green dyes can obviously block the effects of ultraviolet rays) and reusable water bottles from Topas and Zeonor. The founder of CertiChem, George Bittner, who is also a professor of neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin, warned that even these products are not guaranteed to be safe because small changes in the chemical formula can introduce estrogen. "Everything depends on the exact chemical substance in a particular product," he explained. "Things as small as adjusting colorants can make a big difference." In addition, manufacturers sometimes switch from one type of plastic to another without reminding consumers. Evenflo Feeding Inc. told Mother Jones that it had stopped using Tritan plastic, "due to lack of customer demand," Tritan plastic was used in the products tested by CertiChem. But it will not say what it is using. CertiChem’s new paper is based on research results co-authored by CertiChem scientist and well-known pharmacologist and Georgetown University professor V. Craig Jordan in 2011 and published in the journal Environmental Health Outlook. The team tested 455 store-bought food containers and storage products, and found that more than 70% of them would leach synthetic estrogen under certain conditions. The original paper did not mention the brand name. But CertiChem disclosed its findings that Tritan (sold in an estrogen-free form) is highly estrogenic in CertiChem's tests. The manufacturer of Tritan is a $7 billion company named Eastman Chemical, which was spun off from Eastman Kodak in the 1990s? Later, CertiChem and its sister company PlastiPure were sued for false advertising and unfair competition. During the trial, some of Eastman's own tests found that Tritan may be an estrogen. (For more information on Eastman’s approach, see "Horrible New Evidence About BPA-Free Plastics.") Nevertheless, Eastman won, and a federal judge prohibited Bittner’s company from discussing the results of their Tritan study. Unless in a scientific environment. Court decision,? CertiChem and PlastiPure are for-profit companies that charge fees to help customers detect and eradicate estrogen chemicals. This fact has led some industry executives to question CertiChem's new research, which is important to Tritan's data. "We don't think this is in line with their findings," said Jeremy Galten, CamelBak's vice president of research and development. Some of the company's water bottles come from Tritan. Eastman spokesperson Maranda Demuth also rejected the new paper, saying that CertiChem's statement about Tritan was misleading. "To ensure the safety of Tritan, Eastman has conducted extensive testing using accepted scientific methods over the years," Demuth said. "We will continue to support this test and the safety of Tritan." About the method: Use human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) for testing, and in some cases, use ovarian cells (BG-1). Various solvent extraction chemicals were used for testing, including saline solution, pure ethanol, and distilled ethanol. The combination of solvents varies from product to product. The estrogenic activity is measured by comparing the cell's response to the plastic extract with its response to pure estrogen (17-beta estradiol). Less than 15% of the maximum response to estrogen is considered negative. As far as the table above is concerned, 15-25% is mild; 25-50% is moderate; 50-75% is high; and 75-100% is very high. The results vary depending on the extraction method and the type of ultraviolet radiation. The graph represents the highest value.

Many BPA-free plastics may leach potentially harmful BPA chemicals. This is the dilemma that Mama Jones discussed in our exposure to the plastics industry earlier this year. But consumers have no way of knowing which items in their pantry may cause serious damage to their hormones. so far. A new paper in the journal "Environmental Health" identifies certain plastic products — including Avent baby bottles, CamelBak straw cups, and LOCK&LOCK food storage containers — which ooze chemicals that mimic estrogen. Perhaps more importantly, it also lists some hormone-free options.

Between 2010 and 2013, scientists from the Austin private laboratory CertiChem tested 50 reusable BPA-free plastic containers. In most cases, they used a series of human breast cancer cells that reproduce in the presence of estrogen, and substances such as bisphenol A that mimic estrogen. Researchers have found that some products can leach hormone-changing chemicals even before they are exposed to conditions such as the heat of a dishwasher or microwave. It is well known that these conditions can unlock potentially toxic chemicals in plastics. Most containers will do this under certain circumstances. After being exposed to the ultraviolet light (UVA) used to sterilize baby bottles (UVC), more than three-quarters of the test containers released synthetic estrogen. The figure below shows the results of product sampling before and after UV exposure.

Estrogenic activity before and after UV irradiation

*Test with BG-1 battery

Read the methodology.

Source: George D. Bittner et al. Environmental Health

Many of the above items are advertised as healthy alternatives to plastics containing BPA and hormone-changing chemicals called phthalates. Born Free markets its baby products as "a natural choice for mothers who want a safe and calm experience every time they feed their babies." Weil Baby claims that its baby bottles are made of "ultra-safe" "revolutionary new materials". After UV exposure, CertiChem's research found that the products of both companies will extract potent synthetic estrogen. (Born Free declined to comment on these findings, but Laura Monaghan, the company’s senior director of brand development, said via email, “Born Free products meet all applicable federal safety standards and are tested by an independent third-party laboratory to confirm compliance. Sexuality.” Weil Lifestyle said that although the product is still on the market, it lifted the license agreement with the company that produced its Weil baby bottle in 2011.)

The study did not name the chemicals involved, nor did it reveal how they affect human health. However, a 2012 literature review of 12 well-known scientists found that “a large amount of evidence” showed that hormone-changing chemicals are destructive, even in small doses. BPA is the most studied estrogen mimetic compound and is associated with a long list of diseases, including asthma, cancer, infertility, low sperm count, heart disease, liver problems, and hyperactivity. In some cases, this effect seems to be hereditary, which means that this chemical will reprogram a person's genes and cause disease in offspring​​.

However, the news is not all bad news. CertiChem's research also named several products that do not contain estrogen activity, including green Nalgene water bottles (green dyes can obviously block the effects of ultraviolet rays) and reusable water bottles from Topas and Zeonor. The founder of CertiChem, George Bittner, who is also a professor of neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin, warned that even these products are not guaranteed to be safe because small changes in the chemical formula can introduce estrogen. "Everything depends on the exact chemical substance in a particular product," he explained. "Things as small as adjusting colorants can make a big difference." In addition, manufacturers sometimes switch from one type of plastic to another without reminding consumers. Evenflo Feeding Inc. told Mother Jones that it had stopped using Tritan plastic, "due to lack of customer demand," Tritan plastic was used in the products tested by CertiChem. But it will not say what it is using.

CertiChem’s new paper is based on research results co-authored by CertiChem scientist and well-known pharmacologist and Georgetown University professor V. Craig Jordan in 2011 and published in the journal Environmental Health Outlook. The team tested 455 store-bought food containers and storage products, and found that more than 70% of them would leach synthetic estrogen under certain conditions.

The original paper did not mention the brand name. But CertiChem disclosed its findings that Tritan (sold in an estrogen-free form) is highly estrogenic in CertiChem's tests. The manufacturer of Tritan is a $7 billion company named Eastman Chemical, which was spun off from Eastman Kodak in the 1990s? Later, CertiChem and its sister company PlastiPure were sued for false advertising and unfair competition. During the trial, some of Eastman's own tests found that Tritan may be an estrogen. (For more information on Eastman’s approach, see "Horrible New Evidence About BPA-Free Plastics.") Nevertheless, Eastman won, and a federal judge prohibited Bittner’s company from discussing the results of their Tritan study. Unless in a scientific environment.

Court decision,? CertiChem and PlastiPure are for-profit companies that charge fees to help customers detect and eradicate estrogen chemicals. This fact has led some industry executives to question CertiChem's new research, which is important to Tritan's data. "We don't think this is in line with their findings," said Jeremy Galten, CamelBak's vice president of research and development. Some of the company's water bottles come from Tritan. Eastman spokesperson Maranda Demuth also rejected the new paper, saying that CertiChem's statement about Tritan was misleading. "To ensure the safety of Tritan, Eastman has conducted extensive testing using accepted scientific methods over the years," Demuth said. "We will continue to support this test and Tritan's safety."

About the method: Use human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) for testing, and in some cases, ovarian cells (BG-1). Various solvent extraction chemicals were used for testing, including saline solution, pure ethanol, and distilled ethanol. The combination of solvents varies from product to product. The estrogenic activity is measured by comparing the cell's response to the plastic extract with its response to pure estrogen (17-beta estradiol). Less than 15% of the maximum response to estrogen is considered negative. In terms of the above table, 15-25% is mild; 25-50% is moderate; 50-75% is high; and 75-100% is very high. The results vary depending on the extraction method and the type of ultraviolet radiation. The graph represents the highest value.

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