The plastic time bomb: Way out of the crisis:
Once cheered, we can't get rid of it today: plastic. It is found everywhere, even as the smallest particles in the air. What is the danger to humans and the environment from plastics?
Scientists are feverishly researching replacements for conventional plastics. It should be durable and dissolve completely after use. Harald Lesch shows why it is worth taking a look at nature and what new ways out of the plastic crisis could lead.

Chalk teeth - triggered by bisphenol A?

Researchers found that the plastic additive bisphenol A may influence the formation of so-called molar incisive hypomineralization (MIH) in children: chalk teeth! A disorder that now occurs in 30 percent of six to twelve year olds. Some of the permanent teeth are porous and extremely susceptible to caries - without neglecting dental care. A big problem with teeth that should last a lifetime.
Usually a tooth develops in the jaw until the enamel is completely hardened. With chalk teeth, however, individual teeth are porous and soft as soon as they break through. The researchers suspect that additives such as the plasticizer bisphenol A are almost always used in the production of plastic. It is very likely that they leak and get into the human body through food. Experiments with rats, which had had the plastic additive added to their feed for weeks, show clear parallels to the damage to children's chalk teeth. The connection with bisphenol A appears clear. The final proof is still missing. And yet: Many dentists currently see bisphenol A as the most likely cause of chalk teeth.