Toxic

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Polycarbonate

Bottles (marked with a #7 in a triangle)

Cling wrap and plastic takeaway containers (marked with a #7)

Dangerous

Ingredients

Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic oestrogen, which can leach into the bottle’s contents when heated.span>

Phthalates, a probable human carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, can seep into food (especially fatty foods, such as delis meats and cheeses).

Linked to

Prostate cancer, reduced sperm count and reproductive-organ abnormalities, according to US studies at the universities of Missouri, Chicago and Cincinnati.

Reproductive problems like undescended testes and low sperm count, reveal researchers at New York’s University of Rochester and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US.

How to reduce your exposure

Pots, pans and bottles made from stainless steel are a non-toxic alternative. If you’re using polycarbonate, keep it out of the dishwasher and replace it every 60 days or if it’s scratched. Plastic releases toxins over tie when damaged or exposed to high heat.

Keep it out of microwave and dishwasher. Don’t store fatty or acidic foods in these containers, rather use waxed paper and buy meat wrapped in paper from the butcher. If you use plastic-wrapped cuts, trim the edges off where the product touched the wrapping.

Toxic

Articles

Polystyrene cups and takeaway containers (marked with a #6)

Fast-food containers (with waxy lining) and non-stick (Teflon) pans.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used in vinyl flooring, shower curtains and car interiors.

Dangerous

Ingredients

Styrene, a possible human carcinogen, can leah into the contents of the cup.

Perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA), a grease-repelling flourotelomer chemical and likely human carcinogen, can transfer from the waxy-plastic coating onto the food inside, especially at high temperatures.

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen that gives off gas into the surrounding air, so it’s inhaled instead of ingested.span>

Linked to

Cancer, warn scientists at the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development and the World Health Organisations International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Cancer, lung and kidney damage, according to studies at the EPA and Environmental Working Group in the US.

Cancer and liver damage, predicts both the EA and the Centre for Health and Environmental Justice in the US.

How to reduce your exposure

Never drink hot liquids out of polystyrene ups. Use paper ones (those without a wax lining) whenever possible or a ceramic coffee mug. If your takeaway comes in polystyrene, transfer it to ceramic dish or glass as soon as possible.

The best alternatives to drive-through and delivery are sit-down restaurants and home cooking. At home, never use Teflon-coated pans. If you own any, replace with non-toxic cookware made from copper, cast iron or stainless steel.

Use natural materials for home flooring. Buy a shower curtain made from hemp, which lasts longer and is naturally mildew-resistant. New vinyl gives off aerial toxins at highly concentrated levels, so open windows to air spaces where this material is present.