In relation to the issue of plastics and bioplastics, what would be the role of a health inspector? Plz help!?

Question

I chose the topic "bioplastics" for my paper. There are several criteria my paper needs to meet, and this topic suits all of them with the possible exception of this one:

"...(the paper) should also make reference to the role of a public health inspector in managing a problem."

What would be a public health inspectors rold in relation to the issue of plastics/bio plastics? help!!

Answer 1

The only thing I can think of from that perspective might be testing plastic food trays for porosity that could make germs  difficult to remove 100% from plastic dishes (like patio dishes) that are reused.

I can't think of anything else that is material specific at the moment.

Answer 2

The issue is primarily one of contamination issues.

From  Rolf Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Center for Water and Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Whenever food comes in contact with materials that are not inert there is a chance of chemical transfer and contamination. We are primarily concerned about plasticizers such as the various phthalates, acetyltributylcitrate and dioctyladipate, all of which are added to plastics to make the products flexible and less brittle. The concern is that if you heat up plastic food containers, utensils or plastic wrap, some of these chemicals could be released into food or beverage.

Question: How much of these chemicals get into our food and is it harmful?

Answer: That’s a difficult question and the best answer I can give is: it depends. Several European studies found that many plasticizers migrated from plastic containers and wraps into foods as they were heated in microwave ovens. Some of the chemicals were absorbed in high quantities (several hundreds of milligrams per kilogram food). The amount of chemical absorbed by the food depended on the temperature of the container and food, the duration of the heating, the type of plastic used and its initial plasticizer content, as well as the type of food being heated. As a general rule, the fattier the food, the more of the chemicals potentially can be absorbed and retained by it. More research should be done in this area.

Question: What is the risk from exposure to these chemicals?

Answer: For example, phthalates are environmental contaminants that can exhibit hormone-like behavior by acting as endocrine disruptors in humans and animals. These “synthetic hormones” may pose a special risk to susceptible populations such as children, who are more vulnerable because they are still developing. But again, it’s not clear how much exposure to these chemicals is occurring. Potential adverse heath outcomes also are dependent on a person’s individual susceptibility.