Environmental Health Center

EnvironMinute Health Scripts

Plastic wraps keep your food fresh, but are they safe? There's a concern that the chemicals in plastic will hurt you and the environment. Learn more on today's EnvironMinute. [:10]

It's called poly-vinyl chloride (PVC). It's in many of the plastic wraps that cling to your food. In one year, about 400 million pounds of PVCs were used in packaging in the United States. Environmentalists and public health groups say PVC may contain dangerous compounds. One group of chemicals is called "endocrine disrupters." Studies show that they can cause infertility, breast cancer, and birth defects. These dangerous chemicals could get into the foods that are wrapped in plastic. Incinerating trash could release those chemicals into the air. Want to avoid problems? Use aluminum foil or reuseable storage containers. [:37]

The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. [:10]

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