SBIR Phase II: Flexible Plastic Packaging Without Estrogenic Activity (EA)

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将使用PlastiPure证明不含雌激素和抗雌激素活性（EA**）的树脂，添加剂和加工助剂，以创造创新和新颖的柔性塑料薄膜和产品，用于食品和饮料的制备和储存，不会浸出具有EA** 的化学品。这些薄膜和产品在用普通溶剂和食品模拟物浸提时应保持不含EA**，并且在制造应力和暴露于常用应力（微波、热循环和UV光）后保持不含EA**。PlastiPure还建议生产专门针对孕妇、婴儿和幼儿的原型产品，这些人特别容易受到EA的潜在不良健康影响。这些非常理想的最终产品已经被PlastiPure许可证持有者和感兴趣的零售商所寻求。这项研究的更广泛影响是食品和饮料包装的开发和商业化，特别是对孕妇，婴儿和幼儿更安全。胎儿或幼年哺乳动物，包括人类，在非常低的剂量下对具有EA** 的化学品的影响特别敏感，因此不应不加区别地摄入此类化学品。EA** 与某些癌症，出生和学习障碍，肥胖和生殖问题的高发病率密切相关。PlastiPure的数据显示，绝大多数塑料食品包装都含有EA**，包括那些宣传为不含BPA的化学品。该NSF SBIR补助金应有助于全面降低具有EA的化学品对公众健康的风险并减少其对环境的影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will use resins, additives, and process aids shown by PlastiPure to be free of estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activity (EA**) to create innovative and novel flexible plastic films and products for the preparation and storage of food and beverages that leach no chemicals having EA**. These films and products should remain free of EA** when extracted by common solvents and food simulants, and remain EA**-free after the stresses of manufacturing and exposure to common-use stresses (microwaving, thermal cycling, and UV light). PlastiPure also proposes to produce prototype products which would be specifically targeted for pregnant women, infants, and young children, whom are particularly vulnerable to the potentially adverse health effects of EA**. These highly desirable end products are already being sought by PlastiPure licensees and interested retailers. The broader impacts of this research are development and commercialization of food and beverage packaging that are significantly safer, especially for pregnant women, infants, and young children. Fetal or juvenile mammals, including humans, are especially sensitive to effects of chemicals having EA** at very low dosages and hence should not indiscriminately ingest such chemicals. EA** has been strongly linked to higher rates of certain cancers, birth and learning disorders, obesity, and reproductive issues. PlastiPure's data show that the vast majority of plastic food packaging leaches chemicals with EA**, including those advertised as BPA-free. This NSF SBIR grant should facilitate a comprehensive reduction of risks to public health and reduced environmental impact from chemicals having EA.