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