Plastic Causes Cardiovascular Disease

An article published by ScienceNews by Rachel Ehrengerg deals with the concept that bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastics, is connected to cardiovascular disease. Bisphenol A is part of polycarbonate plastics and is also found in "the epoxy lining of canned food." Some research has also found that bisphenol A can exist in household dust and also in carbonless cash register receipts. The short name for it, BPA, interferes with the development of different tissues in the body. A study done in 2008 involving this same issue found that BPA "suppresses a hormone that protects people from heart attacks and type 2 diabetes." What's strange about BPA is that it can affect hormones when there's a large amount of BPA in the body but also when there's a small amount of it in the body. Nevertheless, it's affecting people, and although it's still early on in the research, we need to put a stop to bisphenol A before it becomes even more serious.

This article instantly reminded me of the reading "Polymers are Forever" about plastic in the environment. Bisphenol A is a chemical in plastic, and now it has been found that it can cause cardiovascular disease. Not only is it bad for the environment, but it's also bad for humans. We need to find a way to remove plastics because it's hurting us more than it's helping us. Although it'd be extremely difficult to live without plastic, I believe we can find a safer product to replace it.