Heat increases the migration of EDCs and other chemicals out of the plastics and into the food, while fatty or oily food act as a solvent for them, Lee said.
Besides heat, how long you store your food in plastic containers, the type of food that’s in it, how much wear and tear has happened, and their size also plays a part.
This is not a purely plastic problem, though. Indoor dust can also contain harmful microplastics, or tiny plastic particles, that could contain EDCs. This includes lint from clothes and furniture, pet dander, dust mites on furniture or carpets, and soil from shoes.
Another unexpected everyday source is thermal paper receipts, which are coated with chemicals to create text. BPA is commonly used in this heat-sensitive coating.
Dr Lisa Webber, senior consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Singapore General Hospital, told CNA Women that EDCs may enter the body via the gut (by being eaten or drunk), absorbed through the skin (via personal care products such as deodorant and soaps) or breathed in (due to poor air quality or smoking, including passive smoking).
MICROPLASTICS AND WOMEN’S FERTILITY
So how do microplastics affect our fertility? Professor Jerry Chan, senior consultant, Department of Reproductive Medicine, KKH, said there is ample published data from cohort studies to show the impact in both males and females.
However, he added that while these studies do not definitively prove that microplastics directly cause fertility issues, the EDCs found in plastics have been shown to disrupt hormone systems.
