What plastic is toxic? - Trademark Inquiry Complete Network

What plastic is toxic?

What toxic and harmful substances do plastics contain?

Six major toxic and harmful substances brought by plastics

Hydrogen cyanide, also known as hydrocyanic acid, can cause poisoning if inhaled through the respiratory tract, and can also cause poisoning if swallowed by mistake.

The most common damage caused by benzene-containing compounds to the human nervous system is neurasthenia syndrome, which manifests as symptoms such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, insomnia or dreaminess. The hematopoietic system produces toxicity. Benzene has been identified as a chemical that can cause leukemia in humans.

Polyvinyl chloride plastic products can produce hydrogen chloride gas when burned. Human contact can cause symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, runny nose and watery eyes. Inhaling high concentrations of polyvinyl chloride can cause pulmonary edema, and long-term exposure can induce chronic bronchitis.

Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is a low molecular compound that is widely used in the industrial field, especially in the foam, spray paint, coating, and plastics industries. Its main harm to the human body is its adverse effects on the respiratory system, which can cause cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, asthma and other symptoms.

Phthalates Polyvinyl chloride contains phthalates. Experts have found that soft plastic toys and children's products containing phthalates may be put into children's mouths. Phthalates can harm the liver and kidneys if they enter the human body for a long time, and may also cause premature puberty in children. Studies have shown that phthalates play a role similar to estrogen in humans and animals, and can interfere with endocrine, causing men to reduce the amount and number of penis, reduce sexual exercise ability, and change the shape of penis. Abnormalities can lead to testicular cancer in severe cases, which is the main culprit of male reproductive system problems.

Bisphenol A New research shows that old and new plastic bottles containing room temperature water release equal amounts of bisphenol A. But when scientists filled the bottles with boiling water, the release rate of bisphenol A increased 54 times compared to before heating. Bisphenol A is also known as environmental hormone and endocrine disruptor, and can produce sex hormone-like effects.

Which plastics are toxic? 5 points

The food bags on the market can hold dry, wet, raw and cooked food and are safe and non-toxic. The plastic bags used by food factories and preserves factories to package food are of course non-toxic. Plastic bags used to package daily necessities, clothes, footwear, electrical appliances, and hardware parts may be toxic and should not be used to hold food. Non-toxic plastic bags are generally made of polyethylene, while toxic plastic bags are made of polyvinyl chloride. Because polyvinyl chloride resin contains unpolymerized vinyl chloride monomer, which is a compound that is toxic to the human body. Furthermore, during the process of processing polyvinyl chloride resin into plastic bags, some auxiliary materials such as plasticizers, stabilizers, and pigments must be added. Some auxiliary materials are toxic. These toxic substances are easily contaminated during use. Extracting the oil or water from food and eating it together with the food will be harmful to human health. PVC resin itself is non-toxic. If the free vinyl chloride monomer is reduced to a very small amount when producing PVC resin, and non-toxic auxiliary materials are strictly selected when making the finished product, non-toxic PVC plastic can be made. bag. It is generally difficult to distinguish between polyethylene plastic bags and PVC plastic bags. It can be easily identified by burning. Polyethylene can burn, the flame is blue, the upper end is yellow, and it emits the smell of paraffin when burning; PVC is extremely difficult to burn, it is yellow on fire, green on the outside, and emits the smell of hydrochloric acid. Whether plastic bags are toxic during use also depends on how they are used. Some food bags have trademarks and other characters printed on the outside. It is unsafe if the food bag is turned over and the food is stained with these pigments.

Which types of plastics are classified, which are toxic and which are non-toxic?

Classification according to usage characteristics

According to the different usage characteristics of various plastics, plastics are usually divided into There are three types of general plastics, engineering plastics and special plastics.

①General plastics

Generally refers to plastics with large output, wide range of uses, good formability and low price.

There are five major varieties of general plastics, namely polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer (ABS) [3]. These five major categories of plastics account for the vast majority of plastic raw materials used. The rest can basically be classified into special plastic varieties, such as: PPS, PPO, PA, PC, POM, etc. They are used in small amounts in daily products, mainly It is used in high-end fields such as engineering industry and national defense technology, such as automobile, aerospace, construction, communications and other fields. Plastics are classified according to their plasticity into thermoplastics and thermoset plastics. Under normal circumstances, thermoplastic products can be recycled, but thermosetting plastics cannot. According to the optical properties of the plastic, it can be divided into transparent, translucent and opaque raw materials, such as PS, PMMA, AS, PC, etc. are transparent plastics , while most other plastics are opaque.

Performance and uses of commonly used plastic varieties

1. Polyethylene: Commonly used polyethylene can be divided into low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) [4]. Among the three, HDPE has better thermal properties, electrical properties and mechanical properties, while LDPE and LLDPE have better flexibility, impact properties, film-forming properties, etc. LDPE and LLDPE are mainly used in packaging films, agricultural films, plastic modification, etc., while HDPE is widely used in many fields such as films, pipes, and injection daily necessities.

2. Polypropylene: Relatively speaking, polypropylene has more varieties, more complex uses, and many fields. The main varieties include homopolymer polypropylene (homopp), block polypropylene (copp) and random polypropylene. Polypolypropylene (rapp), depending on its use, is mainly used in wire drawing, fiber, injection, BOPP film and other fields. ***polypropylene is mainly used in household appliance injection parts, modified raw materials, and daily injection products. , pipes, etc. Atactic polypropylene is mainly used in transparent products, high-performance products, high-performance pipes, etc.

3. Polyvinyl chloride: Due to its low cost and self-flaming properties, it is widely used in the construction field, especially sewer pipes, plastic steel doors and windows, sheets, and artificial leather.

4. Polystyrene: As a transparent raw material, it is widely used when there is a need for transparency, such as car lampshades, daily transparent parts, transparent cups, cans, etc.

5． ABS: is a widely used engineering plastic with outstanding physical, mechanical and thermal properties. It is widely used in household appliances, panels, masks, assemblies, accessories, etc., especially household appliances such as washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators, fans, etc. , the dosage is very large, and it is also widely used in plastic modification.

②Engineering plastics

Generally refers to plastics that can withstand certain external forces, have good mechanical properties and resistance to high and low temperatures, have good dimensional stability, and can be used as engineering structures. , such as polyamide, polysulfone, etc.

Engineering plastics are divided into two categories: general engineering plastics and special engineering plastics.

General engineering plastics include: polyamide, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, thermoplastic polyester, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, methylpentene polymer, vinyl alcohol*** Polymer etc.

Special engineering plastics are divided into cross-linked and non-cross-linked types. Cross-linked types include: polyaminobismaleamide, polytriazine, cross-linked polyimide, heat-resistant epoxy resin, etc. Non-crosslinked types include: polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyimide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), etc.

③Special plastics

General It refers to plastics with special functions that can be used in special applications such as aviation and aerospace. For example, fluoroplastics and silicone have outstanding special functions such as high temperature resistance and self-lubrication. Reinforced plastics and foam plastics have special properties such as high strength and high cushioning. These plastics all belong to the category of special plastics.

a. Reinforced plastic:

Reinforced plastic raw materials can be divided into granular (such as calcium plastic reinforced plastic), fibrous (such as glass fiber or glass cloth reinforced plastic), There are three types of sheets (such as mica-reinforced plastic). According to the material, it can be divided into three types: cloth-based reinforced plastics (such as rag-reinforced or asbestos-reinforced plastics), inorganic mineral-filled plastics (such as quartz or mica-filled plastics), and fiber-reinforced plastics (such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics).

. Foam plastics:

Foam plastics can be divided into rigid, semi-rigid and soft foam...gt; gt;

Is plastic toxic?

There are many kinds of plastics, polyethylene PE and polystyrene PS are just two of them. Compared with these two, PS is more toxic if you eat it in the abdomen. It can be excreted with feces and does not have much impact on the human body. Unless it is made of hard plastic, it can easily scratch the stomach wall and intestinal tract. Generally, cups that meet national standards are non-toxic when used to hold boiling water. For example, PET materials can only be decomposed at high temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius. Therefore, if you buy a plastic cup from a regular manufacturer, you can use it with confidence. Cups are made of PE, PP, PET, and other PVC and PS are rarely used. If you have to treat a disease, the most serious thing is to inhale the gas produced by burning plastic. For example, when polystyrene burns, it produces toluene, which is a small amount. It can cause blindness, vomiting and other symptoms if inhaled. PVC burning will also produce toxic hydrogen chloride gas. In addition to burning, the high temperature environment will cause the plastic to decompose into toxic components, such as benzene rings, etc. However, plastic materials with simple structures such as PE and PP The substances produced due to the above reasons will not cause too much damage to the human body. However, since plastics are difficult to decompose under natural conditions, white pollution is also a serious problem. After all, plastics are not original to nature and are synthesized by humans. The principle of producing toxic components is that polymers are decomposed by energy, and their monomers generally have high polarity, which can easily destroy active tissues.

Are all plastic products toxic?

Plastic products used daily are not toxic. Just like papermaking, paper is not toxic, but the papermaking process will produce pollution and use some toxic substances. Some of the raw materials for making plastics are toxic, but the finished plastics are polymers and are not toxic. However, it is not ruled out that some unscrupulous businesses add recycled materials or excessive additives to plastics.

Identify toxic plastic products

Mineral water bottles contain a plastic material called PET. It is safe to use once. If you reuse it for thrift or convenience, it may cause cancer. crisis.

There is a triangle with an arrow on the bottom of the mineral water bottle, and there is a number inside the triangle.

General mineral water bottles, marked 1 on the bottom; Nongfu Spring 4-liter bottles, marked 2 on the bottom; plastic heat-resistant tea cups, marked 5 on the bottom

PET polyterephthalate Glycol ester

Commonly used in mineral water bottles, carbonated drink bottles, etc. It is heat-resistant to 70°C and is easily deformed, and substances harmful to the human body may melt out. Plastic product No. 1 may release the carcinogen DEHP after being used for 10 months. Do not put it in a car in the sun; do not store wine, oil and other substances

HDPE high-density polyethylene

Common white medicine bottles, cleaning products, and bath products. Do not use it as a water cup or as a storage container for other items. If cleaning is not thorough, do not reuse.

PVC polyvinyl chloride

Commonly used in raincoats, building materials, plastic films, plastic boxes, etc. It has excellent plasticity and is cheap, so it is widely used. It can only withstand heat of 81°C. It is easy to produce bad substances at high temperatures and is rarely used in food packaging. Difficult to clean and prone to residue, do not recycle. Do not buy if it contains drinks.

PE ethylene

Commonly used cling film, plastic film, etc. Harmful substances are produced at high temperatures. When toxic substances enter the human body with food, they may cause breast cancer, birth defects in newborns and other diseases. Keep the plastic wrap out of the microwave.

PP polypropylene

Commonly used in soy milk bottles, yogurt bottles, juice drink bottles, and microwave lunch boxes. With a melting point as high as 167°C, it is the only plastic box that can be placed in a microwave oven and can be reused after careful cleaning. It should be noted that for some microwave lunch boxes, the box body is made of No. 5 PP, but the lid is made of No. 1 PE. Since PE cannot withstand high temperatures, it cannot be put into the microwave oven together with the box body.

PS polystyrene

Commonly used in bowl-packed instant noodle boxes and fast food boxes. Do not put it in a microwave oven to avoid releasing chemicals due to excessive temperature. After containing acids (such as orange juice) and alkaline substances, carcinogens will be decomposed. Avoid using fast food containers to pack hot food. Don't use a microwave to cook instant noodles in a bowl.

PC other categories

Common kettles, space cups, and baby bottles. Department stores often use water cups made of this material as gifts. It is easy to release the toxic substance bisphenol A, which is harmful to the human body. Do not heat when using and do not expose to direct sunlight.

Is plastic toxic?

This question is too difficult. As far as I know, I will answer it from a professional perspective from several aspects. Overview: Plastics are both toxic and non-toxic. This issue has been widely debated in both academia and industry. Just look at the process, formula, synthesis technology and use. Not every plastic is toxic. PP materials are often used to make cups. Stainless steel sealing rings are also made of plastic or rubber materials. You can usually see these signs on plastic products. Let me start first. Icon 1 is: PET polyethylene terephthalate, which is commonly seen in mineral water bottles, carbonated drink bottles, etc. It is heat-resistant to 70 degrees and is easily deformed, and substances harmful to the human body may melt out. Plastic product No. 1 may release the carcinogen DEHP after being used for 10 months. It cannot be left in the sun in a car, nor can it be used to hold alcohol, oil and other substances. Icon 2 is: HDPE high-density polyethylene, which is commonly seen in white medicine bottles, cleaning supplies, bath products, etc. But it cannot be used as a water cup or a storage container for other items. Incomplete cleaning and cannot be recycled. Icon 3 is: PVC polyvinyl chloride, which is commonly seen in raincoats, building materials, plastic films, plastic boxes, etc. This plastic has excellent plasticity and is cheap, so it is widely used. It can only withstand heat of 81 degrees. It is easy to produce bad substances at high temperatures, so it is rarely used for food packaging. It is difficult to clean and easy to leave residue, so it cannot be recycled. Do not buy if it contains drinks. Icon 4 is: PE polyethylene, which is commonly seen in plastic wrap, plastic film, etc. Harmful substances are produced at high temperatures. When toxic substances enter the human body with food, they may cause breast cancer, congenital defects in newborns and other diseases. Never put plastic wrap in the microwave. Icon 5 is: PP polypropylene, which is commonly seen in soy milk bottles, yogurt bottles, juice drink bottles, and microwave lunch boxes. The melting point is as high as 167 degrees. It is the only plastic box that can be placed in the microwave and can be reused after careful cleaning. It should be noted that some microwave boxes are made of No. 5 PP for the box body, but the lid is made of No. 1 PE. Since PE cannot withstand high temperatures, it cannot be put into the microwave oven together with the box body. Icon 6 is: polystyrene, which we often see in bowl-packed instant noodle boxes and fast food boxes. But it cannot be placed in a microwave oven to avoid releasing chemicals due to excessive temperature. After containing acids (such as orange juice) and alkaline substances, carcinogens will be decomposed. Avoid using fast food containers to pack hot food. Don't use a microwave to cook instant noodles in a bowl. Icon 7 is: PC and other plastics, which are commonly seen in kettles, space cups, and baby bottles. Department stores often use water cups made of this material as gifts. It is easy to release the toxic substance bisphenol A, which is harmful to the human body. Do not heat when using and do not expose to direct sunlight. We now know that some of the plastics used are toxic, and some are not toxic if you pay attention to details when using them. On many occasions, people like to use plastic bottles to hold drinks, but the drinks taste like plastic. This means that what everyone drinks is not drinks but plastic. The most poisonous numbers above are numbers 3, 6 and 7. If you find a drink with these three numbers on the bottom of the bottle, do not drink these drinks. Environmental Protection When it comes to plastics, we are all very concerned about environmental issues. Since its introduction, plastics have been widely used, but they have also caused serious environmental problems.

Plastic waste is difficult to decompose naturally, resulting in an increase in solid waste. If it flows into the ocean, it will also cause marine life to ingest, suffocate, and be poisoned, affecting the marine ecology. Incineration of plastic waste will also cause air pollution. Some plastics, such as polychloride, Ethylene (PVC) and polycarbonates (Polycarbonates) may release harmful substances or endocrine disruptors under certain conditions, harming the reproductive function of organisms. Therefore, reducing the use of plastic has become an important task in environmental protection. Unfortunately, plastic recycling is not easy and the implementation results are not ideal. Compared with metal recycling, the biggest problem with plastic recycling is that it is difficult to use machines for automatic classification, and the process involves a lot of manpower. Except for containers, which are usually made of a single plastic, many plastic products are assembled from a variety of different materials. The cost of dismantling them may be higher than the price of recycled plastic. Moreover, some types of plastics have no economic value in recycling, such as styrofoam. This type of plastic waste is usually buried or incinerated. Hope this answer helps you.

How to identify whether plastic products are toxic

The first is the identification number on the plastic.

No. 1 - PET: mineral water, carbonated beverage bottles

Do not recycle beverage bottles to hold hot water

Heat-resistant to 65°C, cold-resistant to -20℃, it is only suitable for holding warm or frozen drinks. It is easy to deform when it is filled with high-temperature liquids or heated, and substances harmful to the body may melt out. Moreover, scientists found that plastic product No. 1 may release carcinogens and be toxic to the testicles after being used for 10 months.

Therefore, throw away beverage bottles after use. Do not use them as water cups or storage containers to hold other items, so as not to cause health problems.

No. 2 - HDPE: cleaning and bath supplies

It is not recommended to reuse if the cleaning is not thorough

It can be reused after careful cleaning, but these containers It is usually difficult to clean, and the original cleaning products remain and become a breeding ground for bacteria. It is best not to recycle them.

No. 3——PVC: Rarely used for food packaging

It is best not to buy

This material is prone to produce harmful substances at high temperatures, and even It is even released during the manufacturing process. After the poison enters the body with food, it may cause breast cancer, birth defects in newborns and other diseases. At present, containers made of this material are rarely used for packaging food. If in use, never let it get heated.

No. 4 - LDPE: cling film, plastic film, etc.

Tear off the cling film when food is put into the microwave oven

The heat resistance is not strong, usually, it is qualified The PE cling film will melt when the temperature exceeds 110°C, leaving some plastic preparations that cannot be decomposed into the body. Moreover, when food is wrapped in plastic wrap and heated, the fat in the food can easily dissolve harmful substances in the plastic wrap. Therefore, before food is put into the microwave oven, the plastic wrap must be removed first.

No. 5 - PP: microwave lunch box, crisper box

Remove the lid before entering the microwave oven

Because microwave lunch boxes generally use microwave-specific PP ( Polypropylene, special PP for microwave ovens can withstand high temperatures of 120°C and low temperatures of -20°C). Due to cost, special PP is generally not used for the lid. When placing it in the microwave oven, the lid needs to be removed before use. Because most of the various bayonet-type crispers use transparent PP rather than special PP, they generally cannot be put into microwave ovens.

The only plastic box that can be placed in the microwave and can be reused after careful cleaning. Special attention should be paid to the fact that for some microwave lunch boxes, the box body is indeed made of No. 5 PP, but the lid is made of No. 1 PE. Since PE cannot withstand high temperatures, it cannot be put into the microwave oven together with the box body. For safety reasons, remove the lid from the container before placing it in the microwave.

No. 6——PS: bowls of instant noodles and fast food boxes

Do not use microwave ovens to cook bowls of instant noodles

It is both heat-resistant and cold-resistant. However, it cannot be placed in a microwave oven to avoid the release of chemicals due to excessive temperature (released when the temperature resistance is 70°C).

And it cannot be used to pack strong acid (such as orange juice) or strong alkaline substances, because it will decompose polystyrene that is not good for the body and can easily cause cancer. Therefore, you want to avoid packing hot food in snack boxes.

No. 7 - PC: kettles, cups, baby bottles

PC glue releases bisphenol A when heated

A material that is widely used, especially It is mostly used in baby bottles and is controversial because it contains bisphenol A.

Lin Hanhua, associate professor of the Department of Biology and Chemistry at City University of Hong Kong, said that in theory, as long as bisphenol A is 100% converted into a plastic structure during the production of PC, it means that the product does not contain bisphenol A at all. Not to mention release. However, if a small amount of bisphenol A is not converted into the plastic structure of PC, it may be released and enter food or drinks. So, caution is the rule and take extra care when using this plastic container.