The plastic bottle that you have kept in your car for a frequent drink can make you real sick. If one goes by what the doctors say, plastic water bottles and foodstuff packed in plastic could be hazardous for your health.
With the use of plastic, reportedly very high in the region, the doctors say that people should actually avoid its use.
The officials of the Dubai Municipality said they are currently studying the issue and would be arriving at some decision soon.
As Khalid Mohammed Sharif, assistant director of the Public Health Department and Head of Food Control Section and Public Health, said, "We are always keen to safeguard the health of the people of the emirate. Only recently we ordered several food companies to use a more healthier way of transporting food items. The municipality is presently studying and evaluating when it comes to plastic and we would arrive at some decision very soon," he said.
Doctors, however, feel the use of plastic should be checked. As K. Sukumaran, a doctor at Al Rafa Hospital said, "Plastic can be very dangerous for humans. Plastic consists of two chemical compounds, namely, phalates and bisphenol. Phalates are meant to give flexibility to plastic. This is carcinogenic by nature. It can also cause birth defects and infertility in the case of women. Bisphenol can cause enlargement of prostrate in males. There are other serious problems, too, like a decrease in sperm count and cancer," he said. "Plastic, when in contact with fat and heat releases dioxins which again are highly toxic to human cells. Many people pack food items in plastic packets. This carries the risk of cancer," he added.
"Plastic is toxic. We are particularly concerned about the labourers who pack food items in plastic bags. If kept for long, the food tends to get stale. The use of plastic needs to be stopped immediately," said Zohur Al Alam, paediatrician at Al Majid Clinic in Deira.
Most of the people have little or no idea about the ill effects of plastic. "I was also not very aware of the risks. But, in Dubai, we don't have much choice because use of plastic packaging is significantly very high in this country," said Manish Sinha, an employee with Mashreq Bank.
However, bottled water companies using plastic bottles claimed that they use plastic which is not dangerous and has been approved by local and international health organisations.
Diego Bregenza, Commercial Manager of Jeema mineral water company, said, "Most of the major mineral water companies use plastic made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate). This is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family that is produced by the chemical industry and is used in synthetic fibres, beverage, food and other liquid containers. The best thing about this is that it can always be recycled. Moreover, it is approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). This is not harmful at all." Source
With the use of plastic, reportedly very high in the region, the doctors say that people should actually avoid its use.
The officials of the Dubai Municipality said they are currently studying the issue and would be arriving at some decision soon.
As Khalid Mohammed Sharif, assistant director of the Public Health Department and Head of Food Control Section and Public Health, said, "We are always keen to safeguard the health of the people of the emirate. Only recently we ordered several food companies to use a more healthier way of transporting food items. The municipality is presently studying and evaluating when it comes to plastic and we would arrive at some decision very soon," he said.
Doctors, however, feel the use of plastic should be checked. As K. Sukumaran, a doctor at Al Rafa Hospital said, "Plastic can be very dangerous for humans. Plastic consists of two chemical compounds, namely, phalates and bisphenol. Phalates are meant to give flexibility to plastic. This is carcinogenic by nature. It can also cause birth defects and infertility in the case of women. Bisphenol can cause enlargement of prostrate in males. There are other serious problems, too, like a decrease in sperm count and cancer," he said. "Plastic, when in contact with fat and heat releases dioxins which again are highly toxic to human cells. Many people pack food items in plastic packets. This carries the risk of cancer," he added.
"Plastic is toxic. We are particularly concerned about the labourers who pack food items in plastic bags. If kept for long, the food tends to get stale. The use of plastic needs to be stopped immediately," said Zohur Al Alam, paediatrician at Al Majid Clinic in Deira.
Most of the people have little or no idea about the ill effects of plastic. "I was also not very aware of the risks. But, in Dubai, we don't have much choice because use of plastic packaging is significantly very high in this country," said Manish Sinha, an employee with Mashreq Bank.
However, bottled water companies using plastic bottles claimed that they use plastic which is not dangerous and has been approved by local and international health organisations.
Diego Bregenza, Commercial Manager of Jeema mineral water company, said, "Most of the major mineral water companies use plastic made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate). This is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family that is produced by the chemical industry and is used in synthetic fibres, beverage, food and other liquid containers. The best thing about this is that it can always be recycled. Moreover, it is approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). This is not harmful at all." Source
2 comments:
Hi all,
I have noticed that a plastic bottle with water is left for awhile in the car, it changes it's taste and smells different. It's not drinkable. Maybe that's way most of the drinks in plastic bottles have expiry date on it. What do you say???
THANK YOU! bottled water is evil--all that shipping and manufacturing cost, when there is perfectly adequate water sent through existing infrastructure to your house/work/gym/etc. but, don't reuse the disposable bottles too many times--they aren't made for the dishwasher. instead, buy a durable reuseable bottle. also, buying a thermos instead of using thos paper cups for your morning coffee can save a whole lot of waste.
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