LEARNING ABOUT FTALATES

1.- What are ftalates?

Phthalates are additives used in everyday plastic products to increase their flexibility, durability and transparency. Phthalates pollutes environment and also our body.

2.- Where can we find them?

Phthalates are found in products to which we have a high exposure, such as babies' toys, beverage containers, cosmetics, and even food wraps.

3.- Are they dangerous? Why?

Phthaletes are horrible because they're so easly taken into our bodies. They can be absorbed by skin contact, ingested, and inhaled. They have been shown to cause cancer and birth defects by acting a hormone disruptor. 

4.- What are the two young scientists trying to do?

They are trying to do a project. The first step in their project was to collect soil samples from three different sites along the Fraser River. Out of thousands of bacteria, they wanted to find ones that could break down phthalates. So they enriched their cultures with phthalates as the only carbon source, this implied, if anything grey in their cultures, then they must be able to live off of phthalates. In conclusion they were trying to find a new bacteria that could be able to biodegradate the plastic, certainly, breaking the phthalates. Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao, the scientists, identified a new bacteria that breaks down nasty compunds called phtalates, common to flexible plastics and linked to heath problems.

5.- Give your opinion about their work and their achievements.

I think they are doing a very good job, it's a very good idea because a lot of people is worried about the environmental pollution in the world but not a lot of people try to avoid them. These girls seem to be very very intelligent and I think no one more in the world tried to do what they are trying to do. I am sure they were working very hard because if not, it's a very difficult thing to find. 

6.- What is an accident? Is always a bad thing? Give some examples of positive results from accidents.

We usually consider accidents to be harmful, unfortunate or even dangerous, and they certainly can be, but they are not always bad things. Some accidents have led to discoveries. For example without biologist Alexander Fleming's moldy accident caused by a neglected workstation we wouldn't be able to fight off so many bacterial infections.