PETE Toxic?

Look for this symbol on your plastic containers and bottles......




Food and water are often packaged into polyethylene terephthalate or PET containers. This is especially the case for convenient serving sizes of sodas and waters. PET contains a thermoplastic polymer resin. This is part of the polyester family. PET bottles can be clear or opaque. PET is typically made using a trans-esterification reaction between ethylene glycol (yes, that green stuff they put in radiators) and dimethyl terephthalate. The ethylene glycol is the byproduct of polymerization. Resonated PET is strong, but unmodified PET's melting point is often below the boiling point.

Modified PET is more stable and can be heated to 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes without melting. This PET will maintain glass temperature (the level where its molecules have more mobility) at about 75 Celsius (about 167 degrees Fahrenheit). This is when placticizers or other molecules used in the polymerization can leach indiscriminately into the liquid or food in the container.

However, this is a sliding scale and minute leaching will begin at significantly lower temperatures. Research confirms that heat leaching is higher when PET is exposed to direct sunlight. Temperatures above room temperature or even at room temperature for an extended period will cause significant leaching of toxins from PET. Up to 19 different migrating chemicals have been observed from amber PET bottles.

A number of acids, plasticizers, and acetaldehyde have been found to leach in PET research. Furthermore, foods microwaved in PET containers release cyclic oligomers. Other cyclic molecules such as benzene have proven to cause tumors. Cyclic oligomers from PET bottles may also leach from sun exposure.

PET has undergone significant toxicology research. In vivo and epidemiological studies have indicated that toxicity due to PET leaching is below levels thought to pose an immediate threat to the health of most of the population.

Indeed, the body has tremendous abilities to adapt to and detox plasticizers and other chemicals. However, we must also consider their possible affects upon those whose immune systems are

burdened with other toxins or infections. Toxins leached from PET can either be significant toxins or merely additional toxins that will add to the stress burden upon the body. Plasticizers have been found to disrupt hormone receptors, for example.

Small amounts of PET when kept chilled might not pose an immediate toxicity concern. Continuous exposure, on the other hand, especially when sodas are exposed to sunlight or PET containers are microwaved, could cause a host of possible disorders over time. Little research has been done to measure this possibility. In other words, we have yet to understand the long term risks of PET. That makes us continue to be the guinea pigs of the synthetic chemical industry.