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Shocking Scientists: Toxic Cancer-Linked Plasticizers Found in Southern California Air
SciTech Daily / UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - RIVERSIDE / Environmental Research ^ | Oct. 5, 2024 | Aalekhya Reddam, Nicholas Herkert, Heather M. Stapleton and David C. Volz

Posted on 11/03/2024 10:10:04 AM PST by ConservativeMind

Phthalates are recognized as reproductive toxins and carcinogenic substances.

A recent study highlights the ongoing exposure of Southern Californians to hazardous air pollutants known as plasticizers, including a chemical that has been prohibited in children’s products and cosmetics.

Plasticizers are chemical compounds that make materials more flexible. They are used in a wide variety of products ranging from lunchboxes and shower curtains to garden hoses and upholstery.

“It’s not just for drinking straws and grocery bags,” said David Volz.

Previous California monitoring programs focused on plasticizers called ortho-phthalates, some of which were phased out of manufacturing processes due to health and environmental concerns. Less research has focused on the health effects of their replacements, called non-ortho-phthalates.

This study revealed the presence of both types of plasticizers in the air throughout Southern California.

“The levels of these compounds are through the roof,” Volz said. “We weren’t expecting that. As a result, we felt it was important for people to learn about this study.”

The researchers tracked two groups of UCR undergraduate students commuting from different parts of Southern California. Both groups wore silicone wristbands designed to collect data on chemical exposures in the air.

The first group wore their wristbands for five days in 2019, and the second group wore two different wristbands for five days each in 2020. Both groups wore the bands continuously, all day, as they went about their activities. At the end of the data collection period, the researchers chopped the wristbands into pieces, then analyzed the chemicals they contained.

In a previous paper, the team focused on TDCIPP, a flame-retardant and known carcinogen, picked up in the wristbands. They saw that the longer a student’s commute, the higher their exposure to TDCIPP.

Unlike TDCIPP, which most likely migrates out of commuters’ car seats into dust, the team cannot pinpoint the origin of the plasticizers. Because they are airborne, rather than bound to dust, the wristbands could have picked them up anywhere, even outside the students’ cars.

For every gram of chopped-up wristband, the team found between 100,000 and 1 million nanograms of three phthalates, DiNP, DEHP, and DEHT. Ten total plasticizers were measured, but the levels of these three stood out.

Both DiNP and DEHP are included on California’s Proposition 65 list, which contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. DEHT was introduced as an alternative, but its effects on human health have not been well studied.

This study suggests that introducing DEHT also has not done much to reduce the public’s level of exposure to DiNP or DEHP. Levels of all three chemicals found by Volz and his team were similar to those found by researchers in unrelated studies conducted on the East Coast.

“No matter who you are, or where you are, your daily level of exposure to these plasticizer chemicals is high and persistent,” Volz said. “They are ubiquitous.”

To Volz, studies like this one amplify the need to find alternatives to plastic. As plastics degrade, these compounds and others like them are leaching out into the environment and into the body.

“The only way to decrease the concentration of plasticizers in the air is to decrease our production and consumption of materials containing plasticizers,” he said.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: brainfunction; dehp; deht; dinp; nonorthophthalates; normalbrainfunction; orthophthalates; phthalates; plasticizers; plastics; tdcipp; vertebrates; wereallgonnadie; wereallgonnadiesir
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“For every gram of chopped-up wristband, the team found between 100,000 and 1 million nanograms of three phthalates, DiNP, DEHP, and DEHT.”

“Both DiNP and DEHP are included on California’s Proposition 65 list, which contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. DEHT was introduced as an alternative, but its effects on human health have not been well studied.”

“This study suggests that introducing DEHT also has not done much to reduce the public’s level of exposure to DiNP or DEHP.”

Plastics break down and get into air we breathe and water we drink.. Filtration should help some.

I wonder how much of this is responsible for health and sex confusion issues.

1 posted on 11/03/2024 10:10:04 AM PST by ConservativeMind
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To: Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; BusterDog; jy8z; ProtectOurFreedom; matthew fuller; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20 - 25% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

2 posted on 11/03/2024 10:10:34 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

The state has issued a ban on breathing in Cali.


3 posted on 11/03/2024 10:10:59 AM PST by Roadrunner383
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To: Roadrunner383

4 posted on 11/03/2024 10:12:30 AM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: ConservativeMind

>As plastics degrade, these compounds and others like them are leaching out into the environment and into the body.<

Too much put out there and no one cares what the results will be. Money is more important.

If ya make it, make a way to safety destroy it. Pills included.


5 posted on 11/03/2024 10:14:52 AM PST by TribalPrincess2U
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To: ConservativeMind

Considering how many times we’re told that *scientists* are “shocked” by some discovery, the only conclusion one can reach is that they’re a bunch of idiots.

They’re “shocked” by things the rest of us could see a mile away.

*College educated idiots*


6 posted on 11/03/2024 10:18:20 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”)
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To: ConservativeMind
And here's the general concentration of Arsenic, a highly toxic, but naturally occurring, element:

Arsenic is the 53rd most abundant element in the Earth's crust, comprising about 1.5 parts per million (0.00015%). Typical background concentrations of arsenic do not exceed 3 ng/m3 in the atmosphere; 100 mg/kg in soil; 400 μg/kg in vegetation; 10 μg/L in freshwater and 1.5 μg/L in seawater. Arsenic is the 22nd most abundant element in seawater and ranks 41st in abundance in the universe."

So you're bound to pick up quite a bit of arsenic milling about around town as well.

This is why you should keep yourself locked up in a sealed container at all times.

7 posted on 11/03/2024 10:39:08 AM PST by fruser1
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To: ConservativeMind

Euthanize the state of California


8 posted on 11/03/2024 10:39:49 AM PST by butlerweave
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To: ConservativeMind

Wait it’s blowing in from China


9 posted on 11/03/2024 10:40:53 AM PST by butlerweave
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To: ConservativeMind

A lot of plastic surgery in California, especially the southern part. ;)


10 posted on 11/03/2024 10:45:08 AM PST by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: ConservativeMind

Everyday, at about 7 a.m., 375,000 leaf blowers in the LA area are fired up by illegal aliens, blowing clouds of toxic poo-poo partials, vomit, and assorted bio dust into the air for everyone to enjoy. It’s so bad when it rains, they have to close beaches due to all the bio/ooozzz runoff into the ocean.


11 posted on 11/03/2024 10:51:24 AM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: metmom
College educated

\/

you know what they call the college educated in los vegas ?

” Marks”

;-)

12 posted on 11/03/2024 10:52:47 AM PST by cuz1961 (notcho sigline)
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To: metmom

“Considering how many times we’re told that *scientists* are “shocked” by some discovery, the only conclusion one can reach is that they’re a bunch of idiots.

They’re “shocked” by things the rest of us could see a mile away.

*College educated idiots*”

Headlines are written by non scientists to get clicks.


13 posted on 11/03/2024 10:53:08 AM PST by TexasGator (FIXED! I. I I l I l l "l I l / .I lI . l I l l l I I l /l l . l l l l l .)
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To: ConservativeMind

And chemtrails are just another conspiracy theory.


14 posted on 11/03/2024 11:15:59 AM PST by MurrietaMadman (The Gates of hell shall not prevail against you)
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To: Roadrunner383

The lefties want massive population reduction—so they should love toxic pollutants!

(They have to kill us to save us.)


15 posted on 11/03/2024 11:18:33 AM PST by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: ConservativeMind
I'd rate the problem of all plastic additives and breakdown of plastics to microparticles to be far, far worse than the clear, inert, odorless gas CO2. A recent, related paper discusses the problem in broad terms:

Environmental Research
Volume 263, Part 1, 15 December 2024, 120007

Plastic additives as a new threat to the global environment: Research status, remediation strategies and perspectives

By Lei Zhang; Yuehui He; Lei Jiang; Yong Shi; Lijuan Hao; Lirong Huang; Mingsheng Lyu; and Shujun Wang

Plastic products have been widely used in everyday life due to their excellent stability, low cost, and high durability. In 2021, 390 million tons of plastics were already produced or used globally annually, and this number is expected to increase to 1.48 billion tons by 2050. Notably, the ecological risks of plastics come not only from microplastics or nanoplastics produced during the decomposition, fragmentation, abrasion and aging of plastics, but also from plastic additives added to polymers with nonpolar bonds. The additives may release toxicity more harmful than the microplastics or nanoplastics in certain plastic materials.

Plastic additives are used to impart or enhance specific physical and chemical properties (e.g., heat resistance, ductility, and resistance to photodegradation) of polymeric materials during the production and processing of plastics. Currently, there are approximately 10,000 chemicals classified as plastic additives, which are commonly classified into the four categories of plasticizers, flame retardants, stabilizers, and antimicrobials. Although the use of plastic additives enhances the specific properties of plastic polymers, the accumulation of plastic additives can cause serious harm to the environment, and consequently to human health. For example, phthalates are commonly used as plasticizers but can cause infertility in men and premature development in women. Similarly, bisphenol A (BPA) is used as a stabilizer but can disrupts the endocrine system. In addition, the flame retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) can damage the respiratory system. Environmental releases of plastic additives may also have a wide range of negative impacts on ecosystems. For example, plastic additives have been shown to cause toxic effects on aquatic organisms, soil microorganisms and plants, which can disturb the ecological balance and affect biodiversity. Notably, there are more than 4,000 tonnes of additives are released into the soil every year in China alone

16 posted on 11/03/2024 11:22:44 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“President Trump sells out Madison Square Garden -- Kamala sells out America”)
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To: gundog

According to Prop 65, fresh air causes cancer even without the plastics. In fact, just reading the article causes cancer.


17 posted on 11/03/2024 11:28:13 AM PST by Colorado Doug (Now I know how the Indians felt to be sold out for a few beads and trinkets)
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To: ConservativeMind; bitt

Bitt - fyi!


18 posted on 11/03/2024 12:27:15 PM PST by little jeremiah (https://qalerts.app/)
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To: ConservativeMind

“the team cannot pinpoint the origin of the plasticizers”

So the study was BS, can not prove anything, and will be used to ban something and raise taxes.

And I bet these chemicals are found in plastics, cars interiors especially, because of a government mandate.


19 posted on 11/03/2024 1:54:18 PM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: Organic Panic

The plasticizers are in the ambient air.

They are not natural, so they can only come from man-made plastics.

Everyone is breathing them, in those same concentrations, each day.

California is filled with nutballs.

The association seems valid.


20 posted on 11/03/2024 2:00:13 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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