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[at-l] Cooling in Plastic - from someone who does this for a living
Having spent almost 20 years in env. law, here are a few zingers to
thing about. First, it's all a game of deciding how much effort you
want to put into minimizing what are generally very low risks, but which
can cumulatively add up. An IMPORTANT factor here is your own stress
level, if you WORRY too much about avoiding all trace carcinogens, etc.
you actually can end up doing your body/mind more damage than the
chemicals are doing . . . with that caveat, here are a few oddball
things to "gently" worry about: :)
1) All older wine has lead foil wrappers around the top; EPA studies
show it can leach in, or you can get some from traces on the bottle
rim. EPA banned lead foil in wine bottle tops several years ago . . .
so, before you enjoy that 1963 cabernet, take care in removing the foil,
and wipe the top of the bottle.
2) Brandy stored for any time in leaded crystal decanters will contain
leached lead; better yet, don't use any of that fancy (or cheap) leaded
crystal with any alcoholic beverage.
3) It always is possible for all plastic containers to leach small
amounts of various "chemical stuff" into whatever liquid or solid food
is being containerized. I always thought it was funny to find fancy
"spring water" in those 1 gal. plastic jugs . . . or the chug sized ones
people buy to "drink healthier."
4) All kinds of debates rage re chlorinated and flouridated tap water;
I don't run the other way, but we've used for years those filters you
can get that attach to the kitchen tap, so that 80% of what we drink is
filtered - but then again, I have not thrown out the plastic ice trays!
:)
5) Most good sized fish is guaranteed to have bioaccumulated something,
whether trace heavy metals (tuna/swordfish), or river fish (dioxins,
DDT, PCBs, etc.) or who knows what??
6) Most campfire rings on the Trail have trace plastic, garbage, etc.
in them - I bet we all inhaled some lovely stuff in good ole campfire
smoke, not to mention that particulates alone are bad enough.
7) Then there's all that unfiltered sunshine to give us skin cancer . .
8) Then there's who knows what in those plastic filters we use . . .
9) Then there's all that iodine - or chlorine bleach we're consuming as
alternate water treatment methods . . .
10) Then there's all that nylon/plastic/DEET/seam sealer traces and who
knows what else smell we breathe at night if we sleep in a zipped up
tent in the winter . . .
11) Then there's the aromatic hydrocarbons from white gas . . .
12) Then there's the esbit chemicals . . .
13) Then there's the natural carcinogens in wood smoke . . .
14) Then there's the carcinogens from grilling or frying . . .
Gosh, I think I'll just go hide under a rock and let myself naturally
freeze to death! :)
It is a mind boggling world, as we learn more and more about trace
chemical effects, cumulative effects, bioaccumulation - but I try to
view it as something to learn about, and every now and then take some
action about, but NOT something to worry to death over . . .
Hell, I'm probably already a superfund site - I used to have a POUND of
liquid mercury in a jar that I played with as a kid for years . . . God
only knows where we got it, or where it ended up!
Hiking On, nasty trace chemicals and all!
Thru-Thinker
Leslie Booher wrote:
>
> But don't these pyrex containers have plastic lids? anklebear
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <DTimm65344@aol.com>
> To: <daveh@psknet.com>; <jbkramer@afn.org>; <ellen@clinic.net>;
> <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 4:08 PM
> Subject: Re: Re[2]: [at-l] Cooling in Plastic - from someone who does this
> for a living
>
> >
> > I apply it to everything at my house except the ceramics and glass/pyrex
> > (although I'm not sure how widespread the issue goes on plasticizers as my
> > company is not in that business). I simply know glass (unleaded of
> course)
> > and ceramics don't have an issue. Better safe than sorry.
> >
> > Black&blue
> >
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