PFAs, bisphenols, phthalates… Have you ever heard these words before and wondered what they meant? Have you ever wondered about different chemicals and the way they impact the environment and your health? You’re in luck! Two of IntegraYouth’s executive members, Zora Zheng and Nevadha Murugarajan, hosted our most recent webinar to explain it all to you!
IntegraYouth’s most recent webinar delved into the world of environmental science, exploring chemical toxicants and their impacts and society, human health, and the environment. Not sure what a chemical toxicant is? No worries! This webinar, hosted by Zora Zheng, InetgraYouth’s co-founder currently studying environmental science and engineering at Harvard, and Nevadha Murugarajan, IntegraYouth’s secretary heading into environmental biology, breaks it all down for you!
Dictionary of Complicated Words
Bioaccumulate - a substance becoming concentrated inside the bodies of living things
Persistent - continuing to exist over a long period of time
Accumulate - build up
Synthetic - artificially created by a chemical process
Contaminate - make something unclean or impure (usually done by adding in something unwanted)
Microbe - a very small living thing that can only be seen with a microscope
Six Classes of Chemical Toxicants
First of all: what is a chemical toxicant?
Toxicant chemicals are synthetic (artificial) chemicals that have the ability to cause harmful effects. When these chemicals are naturally occurring (such as certain types of metals), we call them toxins.
There are many ways to classify chemical toxicants; however, Zora and Nevadha decided to use the common method of splitting them into the following six classes: PFAs, antimicrobials, bisphenols (pronounced bis-fuh-nuhl) and phthalates (pronounced tha-layt), flame retardants, solvents, and certain metals. Read on to learn a little more about each of these classes, where they can be found, their impact on human health, and environmental concerns!
PFAs
PFAs (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are chemicals most used in consumer products and industries for their oil, stain, and water repellent properties.
PFAs can be found in a variety of consumer products including:
Food industry: food wrappers, paper cups, microwavable popcorn bags
Household furniture and appliances: carpets, household cleaning products, adhesives and sealants, non stick cookware, car seats
Outdoor gear: Textiles used to create waterproof, breathable products (ex. Rain jackets and tents)
Firefighting foams
Fashion industry: cosmetics and clothing
You can be exposed to PFAs through many ways:
Contaminated food and drinking water
Contaminated air and dust in homes and working environments
Fact: PFAs can be found in the bodies of 99% of Americans
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is a very common type of PFA and is linked to the following ailments (illnesses): Kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, thyroid problems, fertility issues, and reduced immune response to vaccines (in children).
PFAs are an environmental concern because they do not break down naturally. This causes these chemicals to travel across the globe, contaminating waterways and agricultural areas, while reaching and contaminating remote areas.
Antimicrobials
Antimicrobials used in products that get rid of microorganisms; they often contain halogenated aromatic compounds. Halogenated aromatic compounds are called "halogenated" because they contain elements like chlorine or fluorine, which are part of the halogen group on the periodic table. "Aromatic" refers to their molecular structure, which often contains a ring of carbon atoms. While they're effective at killing microbes, they're also concerning because they can stick around in the environment for a long time and might be harmful to plants, animals, and people if they build up too much.
Antimicrobials can be found in a variety of consumer products including:
Personal care products
High touch surfaces;
E.g. keypads, countertops, exercise equipment
Food storage containers
Electronics
You can be exposed to antimicrobials through:
Contaminated food and drinking water
Contaminated air and dust in homes and working environments
Fact: Triclosan is found in ¾ of of the American population
Many antimicrobials are associated with these adverse (negative) effects: hormone disruption, asthma, skin irritation, respiratory, nervous system, immunological, reproductive and developmental effects.
Antimicrobials are an environmental concern because they are persistent and tend to bioaccumulate (build up in organisms over time). They can also contaminate waterways and agricultural areas.
Bisphenols and Phthalates
Bisphenols (BPAs) and Phthalates are chemicals most often found in plastics, used to make them stronger or more flexible. Phthalates make plastics more flexible/harder to break while bisphenols make plastics stronger.
Phthalates can be found in:
PVC plastic products/vinyl building products, vinyl gloves, product packaging, shower curtains, plastic wrap, certain toys, food packaging and food containers
Used as a binding agent/solvent
Bisphenols can be found in:
Hard clear plastics: water bottles, baby bottles, lining of food cans, packaging, sports equipment, etc
Plastic containers with a A#3, A#7, or A”PC” recycling label
You can be exposed to these toxicants through:
Direct skin absorption with cosmetics
Air exposure with building materials
Digestion through contamination in food packing or processing departments
Eating/drinking from certain plastic containers (especially if microwaved)
Inhalation through air fresheners
Even with low level exposure, BPAs and Phthalates can disrupt hormone systems in both adults and children. Early exposure to BPAs is linked to asthma and neurodevelopmental problems (i.e. hyperactivity, anxiety, depression). Exposure in adults has been linked to obesity, heart disease, poor fertility, and prostate cancer. Early exposure to phthalates is linked to asthma, allergies, cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as poor fertility in adults. Populations that are in contact with contaminated water sources are more at risk for suffering consequences of BPA/phthalate exposure.
These chemicals enter the environment through leakage during manufacturing and recycling. Plastic debris in marine and freshwater ecosystems cause hormone disruptions in aquatic wildlife, which contains repercussions for food chains and population rates.
Chemical Flame Retardants
Chemical flame retardants are used to attempt to slow down fires and make objects less flammable.
Chemical flame retardants can be found in a variety of products including:
Furniture
Paint coatings
Children’s products
Electronics
Building materials
Gym foam blocks
You can be exposed through:
Contaminated food and drinking water
Contaminated air and dust in homes and working environments
Can be passed down from a mother to the baby
Many antimicrobials are associated with these adverse effects: hormone disruption, respiratory, nervous system, immunological, reproductive and developmental effects.
Chemical flame retardants are an environmental concern because they are persistent and tend to bioaccumulate (build up in organisms over time). They can also contaminate waterways and agricultural areas.
Solvents
Solvents are chemicals that can be used to dissolve other substances to form a solution. Some of them can be toxic to our health and the environment! Some examples include chemicals that contain benzene or trichloroethylene.
These chemical solvents can be found in products such as:
Oil-based paints
Paint strippers
Adhesives, wood finishes and sealants
Shoe polish and nail polish remover
Cosmetics
Markers
Garment dry cleaning
You can be exposed through:
Skin contact absorption
Through breathing in the vapour
Groundwater contamination
Solvents are associated with the following environmental concerns: adverse neurological effects, increased cancer risk, and temporary nervous system symptoms (due to breathing in solvent vapour) such as headaches and dizziness.
Like most other chemical toxicants, they are an environmental concern because they are persistent and tend to bioaccumulate (build up in organisms over time). They can also contaminate groundwater. Certain solvents react with sunlight and other components which leads to increased ground-level ozone.
Certain Metals
Certain metals, such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, are elements that occur naturally on our planet. They can be found in the earth’s crust; however, industry practices like mining and coal burning has lead to these metals being released into our atmosphere. These high concentrations contaminate our environment and endanger our health.
You can be exposed to the following metals in these ways:
Mercury
Released into the air and water by coal burning plants
Fish consume this mercury; when humans eat these fish, they are also exposed
Arsenic
Crops (rice, apples, etc) absorb arsenic from contaminated soil and water
Inorganic arsenic (the more toxic version) can also be found in some drinking water sources and cigarette smoke
Lead
In homes built before 1978: peeling paint
Common in homes built before 1986: plumbing
Improperly made/deteriorating dishware
Some vinyl products
Toys, costume jewellery, some lipsticks
Excess exposure to certain metals can impact brain development in fetuses (exposure in the womb/early childhood), which can cause behavioural and learning challenges for the child later on in life. In adults, certain metals are associated with the following risks: Increased cancer risk, poor cardiovascular health, lung and kidney damage, fertility issues, and high blood pressure.
Since metals do not break down, they accumulate in our atmosphere. This can cause decreased reproduction in plants and animals on land and in water, which leads to food chain complications & ecosystem damage
How to Reduce Your Exposure
Curious about ways to reduce your exposure to these chemical toxicants? This list is a good place to start!
Case Study: Grassy Narrows
Next in our webinar, Zora spoke about the effects that increased exposure to chemical toxicants can have on a community by speaking about the Grassy Narrows reserve and the harmful effects they faced after a paper mill company dumped excessive amounts of mercury waste into the Ontario River for over eight years.
Take a look at a slide from the webinar to learn about it:
To conclude, Zora and Nevadha spoke about other communities that have been affected by chemical toxicants, reminding their audience on the severity of this manner. As students themselves, Zora and Nevadha are passionate about sharing their knowledge on the environment, hoping to inspire and educate others. They encourage you to take a look at the resources below and read more about chemical toxicants and their impacts.
So, there you have it: an exploration into chemical toxicants and how you can reduce your exposure. Hope you enjoyed!
Resources
Want to learn more about a topic we mentioned today? Check out our references below:
Allysona. (2023, September 25). Home - SixClasses.org. SixClasses.org. https://www.sixclasses.org/
The Canadian Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Grassy Narrows. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved [2024, April 20], from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/grassy-narrows
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (n.d.). Flame Retardants. Retrieved [2024, April 20], from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/flame_retardants#:~:text=Flame%20retardants%20are%20various%20chemicals,about%20their%20potential%20health%20effects.
Written by Nevadha Murugarajan
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