Plastic containers contain cancer causing chemicals, Expert warns
A medical practitioner at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, Dr. Arikawe Adeolu, has warned that some plastic containers contain a chemical that causes cancer.
Adeolu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that particular chemicals used in the production of plastic containers increased the risk of having certain types of cancer.
He cautioned against the continued use of these chemicals in the country and the inability of relevant agencies to curtail the problem.
He said that although a lot of research was still ongoing to discover more negative effects of these chemicals, the United States had already placed a ban on the use of these chemicals in production of feeding bottles for babies.
“Most of what we use comes in plastic and with consumption of items from these plastic containers; we get further exposed to these chemicals that have negative effects on our bodies.
“It is an increasingly important discussion in the health field because of the significant amount of exposure we get as this substances or compound is able to disrupt the abnormal balance of the human body.
“Over the years, more evidence has surfaced from various researchers showing that plastic bottles, metal food containers, detergents, toys, cosmetics all contain particular substances referred to as endocrine disrupting chemicals.
“These chemicals can increase the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer because these are cancers that respond to hormonal levels.
“These chemicals can disrupt the production and metabolism; that is the break down, or even the physiological effect of these hormones within the body.
“Anything that disrupts hormone levels in the body will affect the predisposition to having cancers in certain organs,” Adeolu said.
He said that other health risks include its effect on reproduction, adding that it could also disrupt the function of the thyroid gland, cause obesity and some cardiovascular conditions.
According to him, some have said that it is responsible for the increasing rate of infertility and others have identified that it is also responsible for precocious puberty.
“Precocious puberty is when children begin to experience puberty at very young ages.’’
Adeolu identified ‘Bisphenol A’ as the most common endocrine disrupting chemical found in plastic bottles.
