Plastics and our health

 Hi All-

I've been taking some time this week to delve a little deeper on chemical leeching in plastics and what that could potentially mean for humans. My research question is broad so I feel like as I continue to read and go over more material, I'll begin to develop a more specific research question. I've found some information on BPS (Bisphenol S), the product that companies use in place of BPA (Bisphenol A), and the potential side effects. BPS was found to affect heart function in mice within minutes of exposure. This could be especially concerning for people with heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. The FDA has banned the use of BPA in infant products like bottles and containers, but has approved its use in food containers and water bottles to date. 

PSA: Some safer alternatives to plastics are glass containers, cloth and paper bags.

Fall 2021-Project Background

I’d like to continue researching the effects on plastic in the environment. Last semester, I spent time in the field researching types of waste found in local waterways. Most samples collected were single-use plastics. Research has shown certain plastics can leach chemicals which can pass to animals and humans alike. An experiment was conducted on the effects of BPA in laboratory animals and found evidence that BPA affected reproduction in lab animals. Several other experiments have been done with BPA and its effect on brain development, cardiovascular problems, and body weight issues.

BPA is still used today in several consumer products including food packages, lining of cans and water bottles. In past research, I’ve found single-use plastics and cans littered throughout the Tres Rios. The chemical leaching of these products poses a threat to the ecosystem and food web. UV radiation increases the rate at which these products leach chemicals and break down into smaller microplastics. More research is required to determine how detrimental these chemicals are/will be on animals and humans.

I plan to research this topic through peer reviewed articles and testing/experiments conducted on laboratory animals. I anticipate finding a lot of research on the effects of chemical leaching products and how it impacts animals and humans.

Research Question: How do single-use plastics effect the environment?

Hypothesis: Single-use plastics leach chemicals contaminating the ecosystem and polluting the food web.

Image: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-021-13184-2

Plastics-BPA edition

 Hi All!

I feel like I'm starting to circle around a research topic. I'm interested in the effects plastic has on our health and have been researching several topics. BPA has received attention over it use in plastic bottles and food packaging. BPA has been banned in baby bottles but continues to be used in items like food packaging and coating in metal cans. The chemicals in BPA have been found to affect reproductive systems of laboratory animals. The CDC has found BPA in urine samples from humans but research is limited on whether or not human reproduction is affected. Based on the most recent assessment, the FDA has determined BPA is safe at the occurring levels of food contact (https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/bisphenol-bpa-use-food-contact-application).

I've also began looking at microplastics in bottled water but need to locate more peer reviewed research...

Microplastics in the environment

Hi All-

Hope the semester is going great for everyone! It’s been fairly stressful and a lot of work in each of my classes so far. I started reviewing articles on the effects of plastics on ocean life. Plastic never fully decomposes in the environment. It continues to break d own into smaller pieces called mircoplastics and then further into nanoplastics. These pieces get ingested by marine life and can kill/harm animals and the ecosystem in which they live. 

I’m also curious to the effects of microplastics on humans and if/how the plastic from ocean/river is transferred through the food web. 

The size of microplastics:

First Week of Fall 2021 Semester

 Hey All,

The first week back has been a bit hectic! This is my last semester at Phoenix College! I will be transferring to ASU West for the Spring 2022 semester and hopefully continuing with the TRAIN program at ASU. 

For this semester, I want to continue my research with plastics and the environment. Last semester, I had the opportunity to do hands on research and gather data on the types of waste present in Phoenix waterways. Knowing that plastics were the primary offender, I'd like to delve deeper into how plastics effect the environment. The area in which I did my research is a recreation area and allows for fishing, kayaking, and biking. The potential damage the waste may cause on the ecosystem could have multiple risk factors and I'd be interested studying the long term effects.