Bisphenol A otherwise known as BPA is a manmade polymer that could have been found in most plastics until it was tested that BPA mimics estrogen. Bisphenol A was a key ingredient in the development of many polycarbonates such as DVDs, capacitors, some modern bumpers for cars, toys and water bottles. Bisphenol A has one main property that made it stand out from other competitors, it was a clear plastic. [1] This is really important because when adding the “building blocks” to a system, the system will build off of the properties of the blocks. One example would be carbon black, carbon black is great at absorbing thermal energy, however it will turn the substance black. In addition to its clear coating that Bisphenol A has, Bisphenol A is produced …show more content…
from cheap organic compounds acetone and phenol. [1] Not only is it cheap and transparent, but Bisphenol A is durable, ductile, light and has a relatively high melting point of 158°C. On the other hand Bisphenol A could be used in another industry of coating metals. Bisphenol A’s other use is that of an epoxy resin. When epoxy resins are combined with polyepoxides a thermoset is developed. A prime example of this would be the glue gun that has two different viscous fluids in it. One of the fluids is the epoxy resin and the other is the polyepoxide. A less common example would be the lining of cans, or the coat that is applied to plastics before they are electroplated for design purposes. [2] With all of these pros, the fact that Bisphenol A mimicked estrogen was over looked for many years. Frederick vom Saal tested trace amounts of Bisphenol A in pregnant mice and found that an increase in estrogen lead to development disorders in 1995. Even with Frederick’s studies, Bisphenol A was still being mass produced. In 2001, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis was reviewing Bisphenol A. Two years later 2003, Harvard released their statement that Bisphenol A was safe for consumption in small doses. [3] Within that span of two years multiple different papers such as Metabolism and Kinetics of Bisphenol A in Humans at Low Doses Following Oral Administration stated that Bisphenol A was dangerous. However, the Harvard study was funded by major companies such as DOW Chemical Company. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration decided that Bisphenol A was safe for consumer consumption.[3] However, other organizations in the government such as the National Toxicology Program said that Bisphenol A had a devastating effect on the human brain during consumption and male reproductive system. This is why there is an increase of infertile men and possibly a leading cause of autism in younger children.[3] Ultimately, Bisphenol A has been deemed dangerous for human consumption and most products are now trying to go BPA free. There are plenty of literature online that discuss Bisphenol A’s impact on society. Some of these papers talk about how Bisphenol A has a negative impact on living creatures such as An Extensive New Literature Concerning Low-Dose Effects of Bisphenol A Shows the Need for a New Risk Assessment. On the other hand, there are papers which discuss how Bisphenol A in low doses does not have a huge impact on the environment and living organisms, some of these papers are A Multimedia Assessment of the Environmental Fate of Bisphenol A. An Extensive New Literature Concerning Low-Dose Effects of Bisphenol A Shows the Need for a New Risk Assessment written by Frederick vom Saal and Claude Hughes talks about how Bisphenol A is toxic to the human body, yet many companies ignore the different paper published by smaller organizations as the papers have not been funded by the industry. Bisphenol A might have high ductility as it does not break easily, however the bonds itself breaks fairly easily. Since ester bonds (the bonds between a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids) are exposed to water, the bonds break. This is due to the fact that when esters react with water, an OH molecule will trade places with an O_ molecule. This will change the composition of the molecule having different molecules floating. The breaking of the ester bond is what allows leaching of Bisphenol A into water and other liquids which people and animal ingest.[4] The recommended dosage stated by the FDA is 50 mg/kg/day.
In some ways Bisphenol A is weaker than other manufactured chemicals such as estradiol, because it takes about one hundred thousand times more Bisphenol A (ppb) to stimulate breast cancer. On the other hand, it can take .23 ppt to stimulate the development of tumors. The same amount of estradiol is required to stimulate the development of tumors. Bisphenol A is dangerous because there are endocrine-signaling pathways that act as amplifiers. Bisphenol A has a strong affinity to these pathways which connect to estrogen-binding proteins. So it will have a higher rate of absorbance and will break down faster in the blood stream. In 2000 Timms was running test experiments and found that the fetuses of pregnant mice which have been fed Bisphenol A already had Bishphenol A within their system even though the fetus has a relatively low affinity as the fetus is still under …show more content…
development.[4] As of 2004, there were a total of 94/104 governmental studies that stated that consumption of Bisphenol A (50mg/kg/day or 50,000 ppm/kg/day) was potentially dangerous for consumption. On the other hand 0/11 studies published by studies funded by big businesses stated that Bisphenol A was a health risk such as A Multimedia Assessment of the Environmental Fate of Bisphenol A.[4] A Multimedia Assessment of the Environmental Fate of Bisphenol A written by Cousins, Staples, Klecka and Mackay discusses how Bisphenol A is not potentially dangerous to different species or the environment. The half-life of Bisphenol A depends on the medium it is degrading in, on average the half-life is about 4.7 days. For air the half-life is less than a day and soil it is about 5 days. This means that Bisphenol A produced in factors should have a negligible effect on the environment. The study discusses that Bisphenol A that is leached out into water can travel no more than a few hundred kilometers before total degradation. Additionally if Bisphenol A is consumed by aquatic life such as fish it should take no more than a day for Bisphenol A to degrade. Additionally, companies are mandated to keep track of the amount of Bisphenol A emitted into the environment. This is possibly by a 5 step system that has been practiced by companies in Canada to assess the amount of chlorobenzenes released in 1999. The 5 stages follow, 1: Classification of chemicals, 2: Obtaining data, 3: Evaluation of the data, 4: Regional far-field, 5: local near-field evaluations.[5] In 1998, Staples tested that the primary way of degradation of Bisphenol A into most areas such as soil was though aerobic biodegradation or microorganisms which break down foreign contaminants when oxygen is present. This is true in different medians of transferring Bisphenol A except for the atmosphere where different hydroxyl groups react with the Bisphenol A. Instead of aerobic biodegradation, Bisphenol A undergoes photo-oxidation because of the UV-radiation. During oxidation, the bonds break and the free radicals will attract the hydroxyl group and cause the breakdown of Bisphenol A. Due to this reaction, the estimated half-life is about .74 to 7.4 hours. In 2001 Klecka tested multiple water sources and found that the half-life is about 3 days. However, different types of bodies of water varied in their half-lives as rivers had the shortest. The amount of Bisphenol A present after degradation is about .05 to 5500 micro grams per liter. The Bisphenol A leaking is a bi-product of waste water from production and fumes from melting Bisphenol A into plastics.[5] From this data, it is safe to assume that since the half-life of Bisphenol A in air, water, soil and sediments are below the criteria set by Environment Canada of 2 days, 6 months, 6 months and 1 year that Bisphenol A does not have a long term dangerous impact on the environment.[5] When processing canned goods, the cans have to undergo heat treatment to seal and sterilize the foods. However, heat treatments increase the rate at which ester bonds break. Another common way that increases the breaking of ester bonds is reusing and washing Tupperware and water bottles. Instead of recycling cans and plastics, many of them get thrown into landfills. Some studies in Japan and the United States have shown that Bisphenol A leaches out of landfills and into the surrounding water ways. These water ways effect the surrounding ecosystem and can get into the water that people drink and bath. With an increase in estrogen within the body, different problems may arise. At very low doses at parts-per-trillion (ppt), there can be a rapid development in prostate cancer cells or some types of ovary diseases.[4] During testing for Bisphenol A epoxy in different can groups: beer, two-piece and three-piece food cans, staggering amounts of Bisphenol A could be found in each type of cans after being heated to 250°F for 2 hours.
Beer had no trace evidence of Bisphenol A, on the other hand both food cans had Bisphenol A from 5 ppb up to 121 ppb. However, after a second test on the food groups, there were readings from 5 to 77 ppb. The amount of Bisphenol A that is absorbed by food will vary to other variables, but the average human will consume about 2.2 ppb of Bisphenol A. The numbers derived in the experimentation were taken at extreme temperature of 250°F, breaking the ester bonds allowing Bisphenol A to attach itself to the
foods.[6] When creating a water bottle, a monomer such as Bisphenol A is combined with a phosgene gas and a hydroxide. This will for a carbon link, however since the Bisphenol A is not completely incorporated into the chain, Bisphenol A can be active in system. After multiple use of bottles the average level of Bisphenol A starts increasing about .05 to .28 micro grams per liter. Results similar to the experiment that Springer conducted occurred in the experiment that Cao and Corriveau conducted on re-useable bottles at 158°F. There was leaching of Bisphenol A into the system each sample at a different rate, but an average of 385 micro-grams per liter in six days at 158°F. The samples that had a higher Bisphenol A concentration were more susceptible to ester bonds breaking releasing more over time, even though the water solution was being replaced. This shows that heating bottles up or pouring hot liquids should be avoided as it will hasten the breaking of ester bonds. Also old water should be poured out, as there will be a buildup of Bisphenol A within the liquid.[7] In my own opinion, articles that state that Bisphenol A does not have a negative impact on the environment and on living beings are only looking at how the environment deals with the Bisphenol A itself such as A Multimedia Assessment of the Environmental Fate of Bisphenol A. Although it may be truth that Bisphenol A has a short life time and a high melting temperature for a polymer, the fact that it mimics estrogen except on a higher scale is extremely dangerous. One can compare Bisphenol A consumed in humans to the insecticide that was ban. Since one by-product of increase estrogen is having a harder time birthing in both men and women it is similar to the problems bald eagles were facing. Additionally women who have higher counts of estrogen have a high change of having children with birth defects, and children cannot break down Bisphenol A as well as adults since they are not fully developed will have more problems as well. Since leaching of Bisphenol A in most of our everyday products is a massive problem, there is no future for this polymer. In fact a lot of companies are phasing it out of production and replacing it with polymers such as Oleoresin.
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. (2004, August 11). Environmental Roadmapping Initiative. Retrieved October 14, 2011, from Plastics Impacts, Risks and Regulations: http://ecm.ncms.org/ERI/new/IRRPlastics.htm
The manner in which a teratogen impacts the developing human may vary, though nicotine, caffine and medication consumption are all directly related to physical development. These are examples of habitual teratogens, each contributing to low birth weight and behavioral problems in adolescents. The level of influence of any given teratogen depends on many factors; the first, called the “threshold effect,” occurs when a relatively harmless teratogen in small quantity becomes toxic at a spe...
Barium is a soft, heavy, silver-colored metal element. This element does not have very many uses outside of the laboratory, but it combines easily with other chemicals to form compounds used for important industrial uses. For example, Barium carbonate is used in the manufacture of ceramics and special glass, and also to purify certain chemical solutions. It is also an ingredient in clay slurries, also known as water muds, used in drilling oil wells. Barium titanate is used in sonar detectors and other electrical equipment. At low doses, barium acts as a muscle stimulant and at higher doses affects the nervous system eventually leading to paralysis. Acute and subchronic oral doses of barium cause vomiting and diarrhea, followed by decreased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. Higher doses result in cardiac irregularities, weakness, tremors, anxiety, and dyspnea. A drop in serum potassium may account for some of the symptoms. Death can occur from cardiac and respiratory failure. Acute doses around 0.8 grams can be fatal to humans. Barium nitrate makes signal flares burn with a green flame. Barium ferrite is used to make magnets. Barium sulfate is an extremely insoluble barium compound that is not poisonous. Doctors use it in X-ray examinations of a patient's digestive system. The barium sulfate absorbs X rays to show an outline of the intestines on the developed film. A barium enema is performed to examine the walls of the colon. During the procedure, a well lubricated enema tube is inserted gently into the rectum. The barium is then allowed to flow into the colon. The flow of the barium is monitored by the health care provider on an X-ray fluoroscope screen. The test is used to detect colon cancer. The barium enema may also be used to diagnose and evaluate the extent of inflammatory bowel diseases. Barium sulfate and zinc sulfide form lithopone, a white coloring matter for paint. Barium is never found in a pure state because it combines so easily with other elements. Pure barium is obtained by passing an electric current through a fused barium compound, such as barium chloride. A piece of barium metal quickly reacts with oxygen and water vapor in the air to form barium oxide. It must be stored under kerosene to keep it pure. Barium is found most often as barium sulfate in the mineral barite. The chemical symbol for barium is Ba.
Humans are among the many terrestrial mammals affected by the endocrine-disrupting capabilities of bisphenol A. The majority of human exposure comes from consumption of BPA from food products packaged in polycarbonate plastics (Crain et al., 2007). Laboratory studies done on mice indicate that exposure to high concentrations of BPA can cause pregnancy complications, reproductive organ defects, obesity, early puberty, and cancer (reviewed by Flint et al., 2012).
There is also debate on how much better biodegradable plastics are in the first place. This is because as biodegradable plastics break down, they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but never quite disappear. This leaves the potential that the plastic would continue entering the food chain. But although biodegradable plastics aren’t perfect, they are still much safer than standard plastic and present a much lower risk. In addition, by making the shift to ban single use plastics, research towards better plastic alternatives will speed up and better solutions will become available. Over time, these new alternatives to plastics may spread to other items that aren’t single use, making an even greater impact on the health of humans and the
The affects teratogens can have on the developing fetus can vary greatly. Research provided from the University of Iowa’s on teratogens explains some of the possible outcome to exposure to certain teratogens. Listed birth defects resulting from exposure to teratogens, range from prenatal death, to physical and mental abnormalities.
An element in chemistry is more than just an element; at least Chlorine is more than just an element. It is very useful in many ways that help people today. Chlorine is a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; it is a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; it is used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt. People should know more about the uses of chlorine and why chlorine is used in many processes, for example; bleaching, and why we use it today. Everything has to start somewhere, and chlorine was produced many years ago.
During recent years, numerous newspaper and magazine articles have suggested that humans may be at risk because small amounts of well known environmental contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, can affect hormone levels. Hormones are produced by the endocrine system as regulators of biological function in target organs. Because hormones play a critical role in early development, toxicological effects on the endocrine system often have an impact on the reproductive system. The term endocrine disruptor is used to describe chemicals that can mimic hormones and may either enhance or counteract their effects. It has been suggested that these hormone changes can, in turn, lead to a variety of health problems including cancer, decreased fertility, and abnormalities in newborns.
Para-nitrophenol is a stronger acid then phenol itself because the nitro group on the p-nitrophenol is a strong electron-withdrawing group. This strong deactivating nitro group attracts the loan pair from the oxygen towards itself by resonance so the O-H bond gets weak and the proton gets more susceptible to getting taken off. When the proton is pulled off the resonance stabilizes the negative charge creating a weak conjugate base. In contrast the phenol doesn’t have the nitro group to electron withdraw therefore it maintains the stronger electronegativity of the oxygen and the proton is not easily pulled off. As known before an acid donates a proton and has a weak conjugate base therefore the acidity is stronger for the nitrophenol then a
- The amount of times the mixture was stirred. We stirred the mixture until the Ammonium Nitrate was dissolved, so the amount of times we stirred after each teaspoon was different.
The US Container Recycling Institute estimates that 67 million plastic water bottles are discarded every day, which is enough to wrap around the planet 149 times each year. Therefore, plastic water bottles should be banned from public use. The usage of water bottles should be suppressed because they are incredibly dangerous, wasteful, expensive, and rarely recycled. Researchers have stated that plastic bottles containing water can contain many harmful chemicals. After close examination of the plastic, researchers have concluded that some plastics contain chemicals, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens, which may leach into the water, especially after being stagnant for long periods of time.
An example of an additive is di-butyl phthalate and biphenyl A (BPA), these substances are incorporated while the plastics are being manufactured to provide tensile flexibility and tensile strength. The microplastics tend to accumulate and adsorb toxic materials from the seawater around them, such as organic pollutants and heavy metals. The chemicals are not bound to the microplastic surface, and as a result, when ingested they tend to leach into the animal tissues (Do Sul, J. A. I, 2014). The impacts from such chemical leaches include hepatic stress in fish, mortality, and endocrine
In 1896 the scientist Beatson reported that the removal of the ovaries resulted in the reduction of breast cancer tumours (Russo and Irma 1998). Breast cancer is a malignant, metastasizing cancer of the mammary gland. It is the leading cause of death in woman between the ages of 35 - 45. Breast cancer can also occur in males, although less frequent, around 400 men die each year from breast cancer in the united states. (Martini, F., 2004). Studies on rats have shown considerable evidence that rat oestrogens are mammary carcinogens. Oestrogens have shown to stimulate the hormone prolactin. Through studies involving the use of antioestrogens, for example, tamoxifen, "Tamoxifen alone or in combination with the retina all trans-N-(4 hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR) reduces the incidence of NMU-induced mammary tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats." (Jane M. Ussher Ph.D. 1996). This suggests that Oestrogens and Prolactin's can have the effect of the development of breast cancer since the pathogenesis of spontaneous breast cancer in humans is similar to that of chemical-induced rodent mammary cancer. (Jane M. Ussher
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound used to create polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are found in a wide range of products, but food and drink containers are the most concerning. Most people fear that BPA will have negative effect...