Question from HEG

Hi Debra,

I have been reading a lot lately about thermochromic plastic since it is often used in children’s items to make them heat-sensitive and, in response, color-changing (e.g. spoons that are heat-sensitive will change color in food that is too hot for a baby’s mouth). This process uses Leuco dyes, which are also used in thermal receipt paper. I know that BPA used in thermal paper is free and unbounded and therefore wipes off of the receipt paper onto your hands, but I am curious about the dyes used to make plastic heat-sensitive and color-changing as well. Do you know if thermochromic plastic (PVC, PP, and others) has the dyes embedded in the plastic, thereby decreasing the ability to be exposed to free BPA, or is it like the receipt paper where you can be exposed to BPA or other bisphenol derivatives in powder form? Thanks for any insight you or your readers might have.

Debra’s Answer

Thermoplastic and thermal paper are two entirely different materials.

Theremoplastic is the term for plastics that have been “heat set” to hold their shape. These are hard plastics and the color is embedded in them.

Thermal paper changes color, but it is still paper. BPA is a coating, that’s why it rubs off.

The dyes in a plastic baby spoon would be set in the spoon and not come out.

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Question from sttlove

I am in the process of buying a non-toxic crib mattress for my baby. I am not sure if I need to replace my first-born’s twin mattress. He is sleeping on a Ikea mattress that is made from polyurethane foam. The mattress is six years old. At the time I bought it, I was unaware of the dangers, now I feel incredibly guilty. My question is: After 6 years, is this mattress still toxic?

Debra’s Answer

It’s LESS toxic, but I can’t say with certainty it is NOT toxic.

If there is one thing that is important to do for a newborn, it’s a nontoxic mattress. Exposure to toxic chemicals during those early months can affect their health later on in their lifetime.

Applying the precautionary principle, better safe than sorry.

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Question from LLB52

Has anyone used Yolo Paint? My daughter is considering using it and I need to know if anyone has had any experience with this brand. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from jiwaskow

I think I posted a while back but I can’t find the post. We need a water softener for very hard well water. I’m concerned about the salts they add, but potassium is so expensive. Is there an alternative?

Likewise – I’m concerned about the plastic material being exposed to my water. Know any non-plastic ones?

We’ll also need a reverse osmosis under the sink. Wondering if anyone has found the safest again in terms of plastic exposure, etc.

Thanks

Jill

Debra’s Answer

I live in a very hard water area and have an EarthCore Water Conditioner. It restructures water to make it softer, so there is no need to add salt.

I’ve had mine for almost ten years and it just keeps working year after year.

I don’t recommend reverse osmosis water filters because they make the water too acid.

You can see all the water filters I recommend at Debra’s List: Water: Water Filters

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Yesterday, the FDA denyed a petition to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from all food and drink containers, which was filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2008.

“The FDA denied the NRDC petition today because it did not provide the scientific evidence needed to change current regulations, but this announcement is not a final safety determination and the FDA continues to support research examining the safety of BPA,” said FDA spokesman Douglas Karas.

BPA is known to disrupt your endocrine system. Through interaction between hormones and their receptor sites, your endocrine system influences almost every cell, organ, and function of your body.

Your endocrine system includes glands that regulate the rate at which cells burn fuel from food to produce energy, how your immune sys- tem functions, and how your body responds to stress. It regulates your sleep cycles, how well your body metabolizes sugar and your sexual desire and function.

BPA has been in the news a lot because hundreds of scientific studies show health effects from even low exposures to BPA, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, abnormal behavior, and infertility. BPA can even make you fat.

And BPA has been detected in the urine of more than 93% of Americans tested, and canned foods and drinks in a major source of exposure

In 2011, a study found that evidence of BPA in participants’ urine decreased by 50% to 70% after only three days of eating fresh foods, instead of eating canned foods that contained BPA.

It is clear to me there is plenty of evidence that BPA can cause harm to our health. And the precautionary principle suggests that we reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals of concern as much as possible.

There are many things we each can do to minimize our exposure to BPA from foods and beverages and other sources. I’ve put them all together in my free ebook How to Reduce Your Exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA).

Source: FDA rejects petition to ban BPA in food packaging

“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”
– Thomas Jefferson