Xenoestrogens such as alkylphenols and the structurally related plastic byproduct bisphenol A have recently been shown to act potently via nongenomic signaling pathways and the membrane version of estrogen receptor-α.
"Plastic packaging is a byproduct of a byproduct, and we don't represent enough volume to counteract the industry," Mr. Sasine said.
Recycling is also apparent in the industrial design team of Birsel & Seck's low, curving stools, made in Dakar from one of the country's most plentiful byproducts: discarded plastic bottles and bags.
California has a long and tortured relationship with 1,3-D, a byproduct of plastic manufacturing that's often sold under the brand name Telone.
When the team tested 11 ponds in Cape Vera, Canada, for hexachlorobenzene, a toxic byproduct of plastic manufacturing, DDT, and mercury, they found that ponds inhabited by dense flocks of F. glacialis had higher concentrations of the pollutants.
These data demonstrate that environmental contaminants such as XEs of different classes (plastics manufacturing and detergent byproducts, pesticides, phytoestrogens, and synthetic estrogens) can mimic endogenous estrogens such as E2, causing rapid PRL secretion by raising cellular Ca2+ levels.
If it can be developed into a successful technology, the new material might help remove from the water supply small organic molecules such as Bisphenol A (BPA), a byproduct of some plastic manufacturing that has been linked to environmental damage and health risks.
