Here's the problem. Your body has a system of glands that regulate the entire body called an endocrine system. The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and hormones that regulates many of the body's functions, including growth, development and maturation, as well as the way various organs operate. The endocrine glands -- including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and testes -- release carefully-measured amounts of hormones into the bloodstream that act as natural chemical messengers, traveling to different parts of the body in order to control and adjust many life functions.
Plastics and the petro-chemicals they are made of act as endocrine disruptors in your system. An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body's normal functions. This disruption can happen through altering normal hormone levels, halting or stimulating the production of hormones, or changing the way hormones travel through the body, thus affecting the functions that these hormones control. Chemicals that are known human endocrine disruptors include diethylstilbesterol (the drug DES), dioxin, PCBs, DDT, and some other pesticides. Many chemicals, particularly pesticides and plasticizers, are suspected endocrine disruptors based on limited animal studies.
I know we are supposed to have an agency that monitors what gets into the food supply but every year over 2000 new chemicals and chemical combinations are put on the market with virtually no oversight. That's right. You are on your own.
The good news is that you CAN avoid this crap. Don't buy bottled water or other liquids in plastic containers. Read labels on anything you buy and avoid any product that has any of the following in them.
- polyethylene - polymerized ethylene
- ethanol - via ethylene hydration (chemical reaction adding water) of ethylene
- ethylene oxide - via ethylene oxidation
- ethylene glycol - via ethylene oxide hydration
- engine coolant - ethylene glycol, water and inhibitor mixture
- polyesters - any of several polymers with ester linkages in the backbone chain
- glycol ethers - via glycol condensation
- ethoxylates
- ethylene glycol - via ethylene oxide hydration
- vinyl acetate
- 1,2-dichloroethane
- trichloroethylene
- tetrachloroethylene - also called perchloroethylene; used as a dry cleaning solvent and degreaser
- vinyl chloride - monomer for polyvinyl chloride
- polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - type of plastic used for piping, tubing, other things
- propylene - used as a monomer and a chemical feedstock
- isopropyl alcohol - 2-propanol; often used as a solvent or rubbing alcohol
- acrylonitrile - useful as a monomer in forming Orlon, ABS
- polypropylene - polymerized propylene
- propylene oxide
- polyol - used in the production of polyurethanes
- propylene glycol - used in engine coolant and aircraft deicer fluid
- glycol ethers - from condensation of glycols
- acrylic acid
- allyl chloride -
- epichlorohydrin - chloro-oxirane; used in epoxy resin formation
- epoxy resins - a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine
- epichlorohydrin - chloro-oxirane; used in epoxy resin formation
- C4 hydrocarbons - a mixture consisting of butanes, butylenes and butadienes
- isomers of butylene - useful as monomers or co-monomers
- isobutylene - feed for making methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or monomer for copolymerization with a low percentage of isoprene to make butyl rubber
- 1,3-butadiene (or buta-1,3-diene) - a diene often used as a monomer or co-monomer for polymerization to elastomers such as polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene rubber, or a plastic such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
- synthetic rubbers - synthetic elastomers made of any one or more of several petrochemical (usually) monomers such as 1,3-butadiene, styrene, isobutylene, isoprene, chloroprene; elastomeric polymers are often made with a high percentage of conjugated diene monomers such as 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, or chloroprene
- isomers of butylene - useful as monomers or co-monomers
- higher olefins
- polyolefins such poly-alpha-olefins, which are used as lubricants
- alpha-olefins - used as monomers, co-monomers, and other chemical precursors. For example, a small amount of 1-hexene can be copolymerized with ethylene into a more flexible form of polyethylene.
- other higher olefins
- detergent alcohols
- benzene - the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon
- ethylbenzene - made from benzene and ethylene
- styrene made by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene; used as a monomer
- polystyrenes - polymers with styrene as a monomer
- styrene made by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene; used as a monomer
- cumene - isopropylbenzene; a feedstock in the cumene process
- phenol - hydroxybenzene; often made by the cumene process
- acetone - dimethyl ketone; also often made by the cumene process
- bisphenol A - a type of "double" phenol used in polymerization in epoxy resins and making a common type of polycarbonate
- epoxy resins - a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine
- polycarbonate - a plastic polymer made from bisphenol A and phosgene (carbonyl dichloride)
- solvents - liquids used for dissolving materials; examples often made from petrochemicals include ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, benzene, toluene, xylenes
- cyclohexane - a 6-carbon aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon sometimes used as a non-polar solvent
- adipic acid - a 6-carbon dicarboxylic acid, which can be a precursor used as a co-monomer together with a diamine to form an alternating copolymer form of nylon.
- nylons - types of polyamides, some are alternating copolymers formed from copolymerizing dicarboxylic acid or derivatives with diamines
- caprolactam - a 6-carbon cyclic amide
- nylons - types of polyamides, some are from polymerizing caprolactam
- adipic acid - a 6-carbon dicarboxylic acid, which can be a precursor used as a co-monomer together with a diamine to form an alternating copolymer form of nylon.
- nitrobenzene - can be made by single nitration of benzene
- aniline - aminobenzene
- methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) - used as a co-monomer with diols or polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas
- aniline - aminobenzene
- alkylbenzene - a general type of aromatic hydrocarbon, which can be used as a presursor for a sulfonate surfactant (detergent)
- detergents - often include surfactants types such as alkylbenzenesulfonates and nonylphenol ethoxylates
- chlorobenzene
- ethylbenzene - made from benzene and ethylene
- toluene - methylbenzene; can be a solvent or precursor for other chemicals
- benzene
- toluene diisocyanate (TDI) - used as co-monomers with diols or polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas
- polyurethanes - a polymer formed from diisocyanates and diols or polyols
- benzoic acid - carboxybenzene
- mixed xylenes - any of three dimethylbenzene isomers, could be a solvent but more often precursor chemicals
- ortho-xylene - both methyl groups can be oxidized to form (ortho-)phthalic acid
- para-xylene - both methyl groups can be oxidized to form terephthalic acid
- dimethyl terephthalate - can be copolymerized to form certain polyesters
- polyesters - although there can be many types, polyethylene terephthalate is made from petrochemical products and is very widely used.
- purified terephthalic acid - often copolymerized to form polyethylene terephthalate
- dimethyl terephthalate - can be copolymerized to form certain polyesters
- meta-xylene
- Yep. That a big ass list. Try this. Eat fresh, organic foods. Don't trust your health to a chemical company.
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