Teddscau
Active member
- Sep 25, 2015
- 640
- Media
- 2
- 123
- Parrots
- Budgies: Sunshine, Blanco, Azure; Peach-faced lovebirds: Rosie and Jaybird; YSA: Jasper (♀)
Hey everyone. I thought I should talk to you today about the danger of using plastic. Although plastic is generally considered "safe" by the FDA and whatnot, it's not, especially not for sensitive critters like birds, crustaceans, rodents, etc. Even the safest plastics leach harmful chemicals. In my opinion, and the opinion of many scientists and doctors, plastic should not be used to contain foods or liquids. In fact, plastic shouldn't really be used for anything.
Even if a plastic is BPA-, phthalate-, or PVC-free, there's a very good chance that it still leaches harmful chemicals. The chemicals that experts are greatly concerned about are known as endocrine disrupters. These nasty chemicals are on/in receipts, food cans, furniture, non-organic foods, lotions, feminine hygiene products, baby toys, Tupperware, water bottles, baby bottles, and the air, just to name a few common sources.
These endocrine disrupters are responsible for birth defects, infertility, increased risk of cancer, immune system problems, neurological problems, and obesity. While many people blame unhealthy foods and inactivity for our obesity epidemic, many experts are just now examining how endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are affecting our bodies.
When BPA and other EDCs were first being studied by the FDA and other regulatory agencies as to their safety, they found that only very high amounts of said chemicals caused death in laboratory animals. However, these reports failed to mention the incredible increase in body weight of individuals given doses that were less than 1000 times smaller than what the FDA had deemed "safe". At extremely low doses (even less than the amount found in most products), the rats' bodies were unable to recognize the harmful chemicals, allowing them to bind with their hormone receptors. At high doses, the body recognizes the danger and shuts down its hormone receptors.
Even if an individual, from the time they were born, lived in the wilderness, away from all pesticides, plastics, manufactured items, etc., there's a good chance they too will suffer from the effects of EDCs. How? Well, if their mother was exposed to EDCs at any point during pregnancy, that means the fetus absorbed these chemicals.
So, what should we do? For starters, our birds (and other animals...and humans) should only be provided food and water in stainless steel or glass dishes. Containers used to store their food should be made of either stainless steel or glass. Furthermore, we should only buy organic foods for our birds. We need to be very mindful of the cleaners we use in our homes. Additionally, many experts recommend the use of HEPA filters to remove harmful chemicals from the air, and recommend frequent vacuuming and dusting. When cooking for our birds, we should use wooden cutting boards, wooden or stainless steel spoons, stainless steel or ceramic cookware (avoid non-stick), and use properly filtered water. Municipal water is typically unsafe (chlorine, fluoride, oral contraceptives, etc.), so I'd recommend investing in a good quality reverse osmosis system. Additionally, I'd recommend all personal products (shampoo, lotion, cosmetics, soap, deodorants, etc.) be replaced with fragrance-free, endocrine disrupting chemical-free, zinc-free, and ecofriendly products. Also, we need to use safe detergents, and avoid using fabric softeners and dryer sheets. There's these wool dryer balls that Mom bought, and they are far safer to use than fabric softener or dryer sheets. Plus, these wool dryer balls are reusable and they work quite well.
I'd recommend watching "A Plastic Ocean" (can be watched on Netflix) to learn more about the impact of plastic on our health and the environment. It's quite sad and depressing, but I really encourage everyone to watch it. Just close your eyes at the upsetting parts. I'd also recommend watching "Chasing Coral". While it has nothing to do with plastic, it does relate to the ocean.
Even if a plastic is BPA-, phthalate-, or PVC-free, there's a very good chance that it still leaches harmful chemicals. The chemicals that experts are greatly concerned about are known as endocrine disrupters. These nasty chemicals are on/in receipts, food cans, furniture, non-organic foods, lotions, feminine hygiene products, baby toys, Tupperware, water bottles, baby bottles, and the air, just to name a few common sources.
These endocrine disrupters are responsible for birth defects, infertility, increased risk of cancer, immune system problems, neurological problems, and obesity. While many people blame unhealthy foods and inactivity for our obesity epidemic, many experts are just now examining how endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are affecting our bodies.
When BPA and other EDCs were first being studied by the FDA and other regulatory agencies as to their safety, they found that only very high amounts of said chemicals caused death in laboratory animals. However, these reports failed to mention the incredible increase in body weight of individuals given doses that were less than 1000 times smaller than what the FDA had deemed "safe". At extremely low doses (even less than the amount found in most products), the rats' bodies were unable to recognize the harmful chemicals, allowing them to bind with their hormone receptors. At high doses, the body recognizes the danger and shuts down its hormone receptors.
Even if an individual, from the time they were born, lived in the wilderness, away from all pesticides, plastics, manufactured items, etc., there's a good chance they too will suffer from the effects of EDCs. How? Well, if their mother was exposed to EDCs at any point during pregnancy, that means the fetus absorbed these chemicals.
So, what should we do? For starters, our birds (and other animals...and humans) should only be provided food and water in stainless steel or glass dishes. Containers used to store their food should be made of either stainless steel or glass. Furthermore, we should only buy organic foods for our birds. We need to be very mindful of the cleaners we use in our homes. Additionally, many experts recommend the use of HEPA filters to remove harmful chemicals from the air, and recommend frequent vacuuming and dusting. When cooking for our birds, we should use wooden cutting boards, wooden or stainless steel spoons, stainless steel or ceramic cookware (avoid non-stick), and use properly filtered water. Municipal water is typically unsafe (chlorine, fluoride, oral contraceptives, etc.), so I'd recommend investing in a good quality reverse osmosis system. Additionally, I'd recommend all personal products (shampoo, lotion, cosmetics, soap, deodorants, etc.) be replaced with fragrance-free, endocrine disrupting chemical-free, zinc-free, and ecofriendly products. Also, we need to use safe detergents, and avoid using fabric softeners and dryer sheets. There's these wool dryer balls that Mom bought, and they are far safer to use than fabric softener or dryer sheets. Plus, these wool dryer balls are reusable and they work quite well.
I'd recommend watching "A Plastic Ocean" (can be watched on Netflix) to learn more about the impact of plastic on our health and the environment. It's quite sad and depressing, but I really encourage everyone to watch it. Just close your eyes at the upsetting parts. I'd also recommend watching "Chasing Coral". While it has nothing to do with plastic, it does relate to the ocean.
