From their favourite teddy bear to the play mat they crawl on, their teething ring to their sippy cup and bowl, plastic is woven into our children’s daily lives.
It’s the same for all of us. Plastics are everywhere. Their use is almost impossible to avoid.
But evidence is growing about the harmful health impacts of microplastics and the toxic chemicals that leach from plastic items into our bodies.
Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of exposure to these toxins as their brains and bodies are developing at a rapid rate.
What can parents do to reduce the risk to their children? Experts say there are many small changes that can add up to make a big difference.
WA is at the heart of the growing field of research into the alarming health impacts of plastic chemicals.
Scientists from the pioneering $10 million Plastic Exposure Reduction Transforms Health (PERTH) trial at UWA and the Minderoo Foundation’s Plastic and Human Health Impact Mission explained the problem and how we can help ourselves.
UWA Emeritus Professor Sarah Dunlop, a neuroscientist who is director of Minderoo’s plastic mission, conducted a review of the scientific evidence on the health impact of plastic-associated chemicals.
“What we found was staggering. There are 16,000 chemicals used to make plastic, but really the truth is, we only know about a very few of them,” she said.
“What’s so alarming is that every time we looked, we found evidence for harm across our lifespan.”
They include bisphenols (such as BPA), phthalates (plasticisers), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), PBDEs (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers) and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
Professor Dunlop said in babies there was evidence that linked plastic chemical exposure to premature birth, reduced birth length and head circumference and asthma.
She said among children, there was a strong association with ADHD and autism, early signs of obesity and cardiovascular disease and indicators of type two diabetes and kidney disease.
The list grows for adults, with the addition of reproductive and hormonal problems and various types of cancer.
Dr Andrew Lucas, a UWA research fellow who is also involved in the PERTH trial, said their research showed people had low levels of plastic chemicals in their bodies every day.
“They’re not individually toxic to any system or cell, but together because you are constantly being exposed, they can slowly work their effects on the normal functioning and balance in your body systems,” he said.
Dr Lucas said there were windows of fast growth and neural development throughout childhood.
“If you’re able to provide a safer environment for a child over those times, at least you will know that their normal structure is going to be most likely developed normally,” he said.
Last month, the PERTH trial published findings that the level of plastic chemicals found in the bodies of adults dropped significantly within just seven days of reducing their plastic exposure.
Immunologist and UWA clinical professor Michaela Lucas, lead investigator of the PERTH trial, said we don’t know what was a “safe” level of plastic chemicals in the body but the trial delivered a message of hope that we can actively reduce levels in our bodies.
Dietitian Amelia Harray, a senior research fellow at UWA Medical School who is also working on the PERTH trial, said there was a lot of interest among parents to replace items like plastic water bottles and lunchboxes with glass or stainless steel.
“But there’s a long way to go, because the sheer cost of some of these things, like steel lunch boxes, is not accessible or affordable for lots of families in WA,” she said.
The experts said the public health crisis caused by plastic was not individuals’ fault and it was the responsibility of government and manufacturers to make plastics safer.
But, with the horse already bolted and plastics ubiquitous in our lives and our bodies, it was beneficial for people to make changes to reduce their — and their children’s — exposure to plastic.
Professor Lucas said avoiding ultra processed foods (UPFs), which are often individually packaged in plastic which leaches into the contents, was doubly beneficial for children in terms of nutrition and plastic chemical exposure.
And when it came to plastic pollution, she said the health of the planet was intrinsically linked to children’s health.
“We need to preserve nature in its environment because that’s what our immune system needs to thrive. The more plastic you have in your environment, looking at a playground made of plastic versus playing in the woods, contact with nature is of critical importance for prevention of allergies and so on,” Professor Lucas said.
Dr Harray said given that 50 per cent of kids’ energy intake was from UPFs, she advised parents to buy items like chips or popcorn in bigger bags, rather than individual ones, to reduce the amount of plastic touching the food.
She urged people not to heat up food in a microwave in plastic bowls or containers and not to use any type of non-stick cookware.
“Stainless steel is the safest option we know. Just go basic,” she said. “Replace things that you use all the time, especially kids’ lunchboxes and water bottles.”
Professor Dunlop advised people to avoid tinned food because the cans are lined with polymer resin that leaches chemicals into the contents.
She said it was better to wear clothing made of natural fibres rather than polyester and, as cotton can be sprayed with chemicals, to look for the OEKO-TEX label which shows a product is certified as having passed safety tests for the presence of harmful substances.
Dr Lucas said it was constant exposure to plastic chemicals that was thought to contribute to disease rather than eating the occasional ultra processed item wrapped in plastic.
“In our study, we identified a group of people who did things in moderation, and they were the ones who had lower exposure to these chemicals,” he said.
“So it does make a difference, but we can’t make people feel that if their kid has some Twisties that they’ve failed them, but if they’re having Twisties in their lunchbox every day, I would counsel against that.”
Subiaco mother-of-two Sarah Barrett said she had long used stainless steel water bottles and made sure not to microwave food in plastic containers.
“When it comes to other plastic exposure, that becomes hard as a parent,” she said. “When you have leftovers to store or with kids dropping things, plastic is a very convenient material.”
But Ms Barrett said she wanted to know the most worthwhile swaps, particularly with food storage and preparation.
“It’s definitely something that people are looking for information about and becoming a bit more aware that not all substances are created equally,” she said.
PLASTIC DANGER
Bisphenols, including bisphenol A (BPA), are the main building blocks in many common plastics and used as a hardening agent in other plastics. Bisphenol exposure often occurs through use of products including: food storage containers, drink bottles, teething toys, coatings inside metal products such as food cans, polyester and thermal receipts. There is consistent and significant evidence between BPA exposure and multiple health harms in babies and children including: premature birth, asthma, bronchitis, anogenital distance in girls, ADHD, kidney function, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory markers.
Phthalates are used to make plastics flexible. Exposure often occurs through use of products including: children’s toys, clothing, food packaging, personal care products and vinyl floor coverings. There is consistent and significant evidence between phthalate exposure and multiple health harms in babies and children including: atopic dermatitis, anogenital distance in boys, fine motor and psychomotor development, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers.
PBDEs (Polybrominated Diethyl Ethers) is a chemical used as a flame retardant in some plastics. PBDE exposure often occurs through the use of products including textiles, car seats, infant mattresses, furniture foams and paints. There is consistent and significant evidence between PBDE exposure and multiple health harms in babies and children including: decreased birth weight, IQ and cognitive development, thyroid function and obesity.
PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) were previously used as a flame retardant in some plastics but remain in the environment for long periods. PCB exposure often occurs through the use of products including old electrical parts, old plastics, paints and fluorescent light fixtures. There is consistent and significant evidence between PBDE exposure and multiple health harms in babies and children including bronchitis, decreased birth weight, autism, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and obesity.
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), often referred to as “forever chemicals”, are used as coatings to repel water, grease and stains, as well as in fire-fighting foams. PFAS exposure often occurs through the use of products including non-stick cookware, plastic food packaging, grease-resistant food packaging, cosmetics, water and stain resistant coatings for clothes, furniture, carpet and car seats. There is consistent and significant evidence between PFAS exposure and multiple health harms in babies and children including decreased birth length, head circumference, thyroid function, atopic dermatitis, ADHD in girls and obesity.
Source: Minderoo Foundation
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