BPA #2: The Dangers of BPA in Our Oceans

Okay, so we’ve established that Bisphenol-A (BPA) doesn’t seem to be a major threat to human health in its current concentration levels, right? Humans are exposed to far less BPA than is generally recommended as “safe” by many governments all over the world, so it appears that BPA is far smaller of a problem than people make it out to be. However, BPA is still bad for humans, regardless of concentration. This dangerous chemical can still have many adverse effects when ingested or absorbed into the human body, which occurs via many food and water sources. Unfortunately for us, a significant portion of the food we eat and water we drink comes from water sources supplied by the ocean.

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BPA #1: The Safety of BPA in Polycarbonates and Epoxy Resins

The debate regarding the use of Bisphenol A has plagued consumer markets regarding the disputed safety of this chemical. Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is the main constituent of polycarbonate plastics. Polycarbonate materials are used everywhere from CDs to food storage containers. In addition to its use in polycarbonate plastics, BPA is also found in epoxy resins which are used to make products such as paints, protective coatings, and metal food can linings. According to Chemical Market Associates Inc (CMAI), close to 2.8 million tons of BPA were produced in the year of 2002. Thomas Zincke is credited with the initial synthesis of BPA in 1905, when he combined phenol and acetone to create this useful compound. The synthesis of the chemical into plastic materials came in the year of 1953 by Dr. Hermann Schnell and Dr. Dan Fox.

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Ocean Microplastics: what are they, why are they bad, and what are we doing to phase them out?

With so much plastic floating around in the ocean, it’s easy to see the big stuff - plastic bottles, fishing nets, chunks of foam, and other everyday objects that we still can’t seem to dispose of properly. But what about the plastic in the ocean that we can’t see? Microplastics, or small plastic pellets, powders, fibers, and even fragments of larger plastic waste between five microns and one millimeter are also very common in the ocean and extremely damaging to this fragile environment.

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Welcome to the new Site

I've been dreaming of this site for several years now. Thanks to a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, I finally have the funding and time to put it together. I know this will be a long work in progress, but as a mentor of mine once advised, start small, start with anything, and momentum will take over. The purpose of this site is to help people understand the role of polymers and plastics in their daily lives, and help sort out myths and facts about products we use every day. As someone who cares deeply about the environment, and a chemical engineer with fascination with and appreciation for the technological achievements of the past 100 years, I feel it is my responsibility to guide people to correct information about materials and sustainability.

To say our relationship with plastics is "love-hate" is an understatement. Plastics provide food security, life saving medical devices, and light weight transportation, to name a few of their critical roles. However, some of them also contain toxic chemicals and can present problems with trash generation. How does the average consumer deal with these complex issues? Well, getting educated is a start. 

You've come to the right place!