1. Common plastic bottle materials and safety
1. PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
- This material is often used to make mineral water bottles and beverage bottles. Generally speaking, PET plastic bottles are relatively safe if used normally. However, it is not suitable for hot water. When the liquid temperature exceeds 70°C, harmful substances will be dissolved, and carcinogens may be released after 10 months of use. In addition, PET plastic beverage bottles may use metal catalysts such as "antimony" in production. The migration rate in acidic and alkaline environments will increase, releasing harmful substances, so it is not suitable for acidic substances such as edible vinegar. If you want to put oily substances, studies have shown that when PET plastic bottles are used to hold oil at the same temperature, the migration of phthalates (PAEs) is nearly 20 times more than when they are filled with water. Phthalates are a type of plasticizer. Long-term intake of this oil may harm the liver and kidneys.
2. HDPE (High-density polyethylene)
- It is mostly used to make containers for cleaning products and bath products. It is resistant to high temperatures, but not easy to clean and easy to breed bacteria. It is not recommended to recycle.
3. PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
- It is often used in the manufacture of raincoats and plastic films. It is easy to produce two harmful substances, monomolecular vinyl chloride and plasticizers. These two substances are easy to precipitate at high temperatures and grease. After the toxic substances enter the human body with food, they are easy to cause cancer. Be careful not to heat them during use.
4. LDPE (Low-density polyethylene)
- It is the raw material for making cling film and plastic film. However, LDPE is not heat-resistant. Qualified PE cling film will melt when the temperature exceeds 110°C, leaving some plastic preparations that cannot be decomposed by the human body. If it is wrapped around the outside of the food and heated at the same time, the grease in the food will more easily dissolve the harmful substances in the cling film.
5. PP (polypropylene)
- It is the raw material for making microwave lunch boxes. PP material is the only material that can be heated in a microwave oven. It can withstand high temperatures of 130°C, has a melting point of up to 167°C, and has poor transparency. It can be reused after careful cleaning. However, it should be noted that some merchants use 05 PP (polypropylene) to make the box body of the microwave lunch box, but the lid is made of 06 PS (polystyrene). PS material is not resistant to high temperatures, so the lid of the lunch box should be removed when heating rice.
6. PS (polystyrene)
- Used to make bowl-shaped instant noodle boxes, it belongs to the material of foamed fast food boxes and cannot be used to hold strong acids and strong alkaline substances.
7. PC (polycarbonate)
- It is widely used to make milk bottles, space cups, etc., but it is controversial because it contains toxic bisphenol A.
2. Misunderstandings and truths about plastic bottles causing cancer
1. About plastic bottles after exposure to the sun
- As for whether plastic bottled water will cause cancer after exposure to the sun, there is currently no scientific evidence to prove that food plastic packaging will cause cancer. Commonly used food plastic packaging materials are polymer materials, which are polymerized by monomers through chemical methods. They have a large molecular weight and will not easily migrate to food. Moreover, the state stipulates that the migration amount of packaging plastics when in contact with food shall not exceed 0.01mg/kg, and this dose will not pollute food. Therefore, as long as you buy qualified drinking water produced by regular manufacturers, and the water source and plastic bottles meet national standards, you don't have to worry about the release of carcinogens after exposure.
2. Normal use and improper use
- Under normal circumstances, if plastic bottles are used according to their designed purpose, such as PET bottles used to hold room temperature beverages and not reused for too long, they will not cause cancer. However, if plastic bottles that are not suitable for hot water are used to hold hot water, or plastic bottles are reused excessively or used in inappropriate environments (such as high temperature, acid and alkali environments), the risk of harmful substances being released may increase, thereby causing potential harm to health.
III. How to use plastic bottles correctly to avoid health risks
1. Follow the instructions for use
- For plastic bottles of different materials, follow their usage recommendations. For example, PET bottles should be thrown away after use and should not be used multiple times; HDPE bottles should not be recycled to hold food; PVC products should not be exposed to heat during use, etc.
2. Pay attention to the use environment
- Avoid exposing plastic bottles to high temperatures, such as not exposing plastic bottles to the sun or near heat sources. At the same time, be careful not to use plastic bottles to hold acidic, alkaline and other substances that may cause harmful substances to precipitate.
3. Choose regular products
- When purchasing plastic bottle products, choose products produced by regular manufacturers to ensure that their quality meets national standards, which can greatly reduce the health risks brought by plastic bottles.
