Researchers find Substances Leaching out of Plastic Act as Functional Estrogens
Published: 2 April 2009
Category: PET (polyethylene terephthalate), Packaging CONCERNS, Reproductive/Hormonal Changes, Studies/State & Federal Regulations
According to “Red Orbit,” Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann from the Department of Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, found plastic mineral water bottles contaminate drinking water with estrogenic chemicals. Researchers have found these chemicals result in an increased development of embryos in the New Zealand mud snail, showing for the first time that substances leaching out of plastic food packaging materials act as functional estrogens. The researchers found more than double the number of embryos in plastic bottles compared with glass bottles.