Busy Week!

 Hey All-

This semester has felt incredibly busy! I was able to pick up the test kits from the lab to complete the hands on portion of my project which I'm really looking forward to. Hoping I will get some results to better understand the effects that UV rays will have on chemical leeching. I'm also wrapping up my last semester at Phoenix College which feels bittersweet. I didn't know when I started back at school I would become a Biology major but I'm grateful for the opportunity this program provides. I registered for Spring 2022 classes at ASU West and am really looking forward to this new transition. 

These are the items I'll be testing for BPA...

Variables in Experiment

 Hey All-

Hope your week is going well! I've been taking most of the week to study for my Organic Chemistry Midterm. It's been a lot to digest and not really my strongest subject! 

I've looked at bit more at how I will run my experiment and decided I'll be using UV rays (sunlight) to determine if plastics will leech BPA chemicals while in direct sunlight. I'll test each item prior to placing it in the sun, then leave it in direct sunlight for several weeks before testing it again to see if BPA leached from the item. I chose to use UV Rays as the independent variable to test whether or not it has a prominent effect on chemical leaching. I also recently found a tracker that tells how much UV exposure Phoenix gets on any given day so I can include that in my results as well. I attached a screenshot of what it looks like:

(Source: https://s.theweathernetwork.com/us/forecasts/uv/arizona/phoenix)

Project Background

 Research Question: Do plastic products containing BPA leech chemicals when subjected to direct sunlight?

Hypothesis: Plastics exposed by irradiation will leach chemicals at a higher rate than non-exposed plastics.

                Plastics made with Bisphenol A (BPA) have been linked to adverse health risks in humans and reproductive issues in animals. Research has shown certain plastics can leach chemicals which pass through to animals and humans alike. Plastics can leach chemicals through increased usage, Ultraviolet radiation, and elevated temperature. An experiment will be done to test whether plastic products leak BPA by placing products in direct sunlight. The same products will be placed in an area not exposed to sunlight to determine if direct sunlight and UV radiation have an adverse effect on chemical leaching. A test will be run on a product labeled “BPA Free” as a control. Data will be compiled and used to support the hypothesis that plastics exposed by irradiation will leach chemicals at a higher rate than non-exposed plastics.

                One factor that can cause plastics to break down and cause chemical leaching is Ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet wavelengths occur between 100-400 nanometers and cannot be seen by the naked eye. These UV rays cause many plastics to break down into smaller nano and microplastics. As plastics break into smaller pieces, they become ingested by animals (Taipale et al., 2019) and humans. Microplastics have even made their way to bottled drinking water (Mason et al., 0001). The concern with microplastic ingestion is the ability for these chemicals to cause cardiovascular related health problems including angina, hypertension, and heart attack (Gao & Wang, 2014).

                BPA can be found in plastic products marked with a 7 but have also been found in products marked 1, 2 and 5 which traditionally do not contain BPA (Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger of the Journal Sentinel). Products marketed “microwave safe” were found to leach the toxic chemical when exposed to high temperatures. “Highest amounts of leaching were found in two items: a can of Enfamil liquid infant formula and a Rubbermaid plastic food-storage container. The lowest levels, trace amounts, were found to be leaching from disposable frozen-food containers.” (Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger of the Journal Sentinel). While most of these containers are safe from melting in the microwave, they are not safe from chemical leaching.

                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.

This project requires quite a bit of digging to figure out what products have BPA and which do not. Photo credit: https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/opmrdd/health/bpa.html

Testing BPA Free Products

 Hi All!

I finally feel like I'm getting a better understanding of my project this semester! I've been a little stressed about narrowing my research down to a specific topic. I've found some research on products labeled "BPA Free" still containing BPA. Some of the products being touted as "BPA Free" still contain some form of Bisphenol which seems like it defeats the purpose of making a "BPA Free" product. I'm going to test products that are labeled "BPA Free" by placing the item in just-boiled water for 5 minutes, swab the item with a swab that has been dipped in alcohol, place swab in indicator, and measure results. I suspect temperature will affect leeching of chemicals in each product. Looking forward to what the results will be!

Procedure to test for BPA: