Khasiat Awar awar

Khasiat Awar Awar

manfaat-daun-awar-awar

Tanaman herbal Awar-awar secara empiris telah digunakan oleh masyarakat untuk mengobati berbagai penyakit. Tanaman Awar-awar mempunyai berbagai nama daerah yang berbeda-beda diantaranya : Sirih popar (Ambon), Bei, Loloyan (Minahasa); Ki ciyat (Sunda); Awar awar (Jawa); Bar-abar (Madura); Awar awar (Belitung); Tobotobo (Makasar); Dausalo (Bugis); Bobulutu (Halmahera Utara); Tagalolo (Ternate). Sedangkan nama asing untuk tanaman Awar-Awar antara lain : Papua Nugini : Omia (Kurereda), Manibwohebwahe (Wagawaga, Milne Bay), Bahuerueru (Vanapa); Filipina: Hauili (Filipino), Kauili (Tagalog), Sio (Bikol). Nama simplisia adalah Fici septicae folium; daun Awar-awar

 

Deskripsi tanaman

Pohon atau semak tinggi, tegak 1-5 meter. Batang pokok bengkok bengkok, lunak, ranting bulat silindris, berongga, gundul, bergetah bening. Daun penumpu tunggal, besar, sangat runcing, daun tunggal, bertangkai, duduk daun berseling atau berhadapan, bertangkai 2,53 cm.

 Helaian berbentuk bulat telur atau elips, dengan pangkal membulat, ujung menyempit cukup tumpul, tepi rata, 9-30 kali 9-16 cm, dari atas hijau tua mengkilat, dengan banyak bintik-bintik yang pucat, dari bawah hijau muda, sisi kiri kanan tulang daun tengah dengan 6-12 tulang daun samping; kedua belah sisi tulang daun menyolok karena warnanya yang pucat. Tanaman ini merupakan tanaman herbal Indonesia.

 

Khasiat

Daun digunakan untuk obat penyakit kulit, radang usus buntu, mengatasi bisul, gigitan ular berbisa dan sesak napas. Akar digunakan untuk penawar racun (ikan) dan penanggulangan asma. Perasan air dari tumbukan akar awar awar dan Adas Pulowaras dapat digunakan untuk mengobati keracunan ikan, gadung (Dioscorea hispida dennst) dan kepiting. Jika ditumbuk dengan segenggam akar alang-alang dan airnya diperas merupakan obat muntah yang sangat manjur (Anonim, 2005). Untuk obat bisul dipakai ± 5 gram daun segar Ficus septica, ditumbuk sampai lumat, kemudian ditempelkan pada bisul. Disamping itu daun dapat menyebabkan muntah. Getah dimanfaatkan untuk mengatasi bengkak-bengkak dan kepala pusing. Buah untuk pencahar.

 

Kandungan kimia

Daun Ficus septica mengandung senyawa flavonoid genistin dan kaempferitrin, kumarin, senyawa fenolik, pirimidin dan alkaloid antofin, 10S,13aR-antofin N-oxide, dehidrotylophorin, ficuseptin A, tylophorin, 2-Demetoksitylophorin, 14?-Hidroksiisotylopcrebin N-oxide, saponin triterpenoid, sterol. Akar mengandung sterol dan polifenol. Alkaloid yang terkandung pada batang antara lain adalah fenantroindolisidin (ficuseptin B, ficuseptin C, ficuseptin D, 10R,13aR-tylophorin N-oxide, 10R,13aR-tylocrebrin N-oxide, 10S,13aR-tylocrebrin N-oxide, 10S,13aR-isotylocrebrin N-oxide, dan 10S,13aS-isotylocrebrin N-oxide . Daun dan akar mengandung stigmasterol dan ?-sitosterol . Daun dan batang mengandung alkaloid isotylocrebin dan tylocrebin.

 

Penelitian tentang Ficus septica

Alkaloid fenantroindolisidin dalam daun Ficus septica memiliki efek sitotoksik terhadap sel kanker. Aktivitas sitotoksik komponen fenantroindolisidin menunjukkan nilai poten yang tinggi pada cell lines carcinoma KB-VI (multidrugs resistance cell) dan KB-3-1(sensitive cell). Salah satu komponen fenantroindolisidin berupa 6-O-desmethylantofine dari Tylophora tanakae mempunyai IC50 7 ± 3 nM untuk sel KB-3-1dan IC50 10 ± 4 nM untuk sel KB-VI (Staerk et al., 2002). Batang Ficus septica yang terbukti mengandung alkaloid fenantroindolisin mempunyai aktivitas sitotoksik terhadap sel kanker nasofaring HONE-1 dan sel kanker lambung NUGC (Damu,et al., 2005). Yang et al. (2005) melaporkan bahwa alkaloid daun Ficus septica yaitu tilophorin dan ficuseptin dapat menghambat enzim siklooksigenase (COX)-2.

Jus Praktikal Anda

Kenapa Anda Perlu Minum Jus Mentah?

Jus mentah masih mengandungi enzim, antioksidan yang dicipta Allah, sangat baik untuk kesihatan manusia. Tetapi sedikit daripada manusia yang berterima kasih kepada Penciptanya. Sesungguhnya Allah telah menciptakan banyak sekali tumbuh tumbuhan yang baik serta bermanfaat kepada manusia dan Maha Suci Allah tidak pernah sekali kali menganiayai manusia dengan meminta atau menyaman manusia akan hak patenship!  Manusia yang banyak meniru patenship dari Allah!!! Tetapi sedikit sekali manusia yang berterima kasih kepada Allah.

Apabila anda meminum jus mentah anda akan terasa perbezaannya, Badan anda akan jadi lebih cergas, bertenaga, lebih banyak idea, lebih bersemangat dan lebih bermotivasi! Anda tidak akan tahu selagi tidak mencubanya!!

Tahukah anda binatang tidak pernah memasak makanannya? Hanya manusia yang belajar memasak makanan mereka. Manusia juga mengetin dan mempek barang makanan dalam plastik. Kemajuan  dicapai manusia membolehkan barang makanan kekal tidak rosak sehingga bertahun tahun!!! Manusia menggunakan pengawet, pewarna, perisa , pengemulsi, serta aroma tiruan dalam makanan mereka. Semua benda ini bersifat kimia dan menyebabkan makanan yang dimakan manusia menjadi mati iaitu tidak lagi mempunyai enzim, vitamin, antioksidan, alkaloid, bacosides A, bacosides B, stigmasterol, stigmastanol, beta sitosterol, sapogenins, saponins, flavonoids, triterpenoids,  bioflanoids, rutin, hesperidin, herpestine, betulic acid, octacosane, asid amino dsbnya seperti makanan yang diambil secara segar atau terus dari pokoknya! Ada juga makanan disteril menggunakan pancaran tenaga radioaktif!

Makanan yang dimasak juga boleh memusnahkan segala enzim, vitamin, antioksidan, bioflanoids, rutin, hesperidin dsbnya! Tahukah anda bahawasanya ayam lebih mendapat vitamin daripada manusia ketika ayam makan padi? Beras mempunyai sekam yang menyelaputinya! Sekam ini kaya dengan vitamin B Compleks, antioksidan dsbnya! Malangnya, sekam padi dipisahkan dari beras dan dibakar begitu sahaja!!! Beras baru yang masih berkulit ari mengandungi banyak sekali vitamin serta zat yang berharga !!! Namun sedikit sahaja manusia yang mengetahuinya jauh sekali bersyukur kepada Allah mengenainya !!!

Jus boleh juga dibuat dari daun daun hijau! Tidak perlu membuat jus dari sumber buah semata mata kerana daun tumbuh tumbuhan tidak kurang hebatnya malah mungkin lebih baik daripada buah itu sendiri. Sebagai contoh anda boleh membuat jus daun seperti dibawah:

2 helai daun manggis hijau

3 helai daun durian belanda hijau

6 helai daun belalai gajah hijau

1 helai daun jambu hijau

2 kuntum bunga misai kuching

2 cawan air zamzam ( Sekiranya air zam zam tiada - boleh diganti dengan  air mineral cactus, ice mountain dsbnya kerana air mineral bersifat alkali manakala air paip terawat bersifat asid!!! Justeru jangan gunakan dari punca air paip !!! ).

Kisar dan tapis airnya dan anda boleh minum selepas berselawat ke atas Rasul. Daun2 lain yang boleh dibuat jus yang baik termasuklah daun mengkudu, daun pecah beling, daun rambutan dsbnya ...

Selain daun; → ubi kentang, ubi sengkuang, ubi karot pun boleh dibuat jus yang amat sedap serta menyegarkan .... Semua minuman segar ini mengandungi enzim, vitamin, antioksidan dsbnya dan boleh menyihatkan anda sekiranya anda rajin mengambilnya setiap hari!!! Peringatan penting bahawasanya jus ini mesti diminum sejurus ia disediakan dan jangan simpan lama kerana boleh merosakkan enzim, vitamin, antioksidan dsbnya. Jus ini juga akan hilang keberkesanannya sekiranya ia dicampur gula atau susu !!!

 

 

Pencemaran Plastik Nano

Microplastics From Synthetic Clothing and Plastic in the Environment

 Microplastics-in-Synthetic-Clothing-and-Plastic-in-the-Environment

Plastics are very useful and popular materials, but they may be dangerous to animals and humans while they are being used or when they are discarded. Chemical additives leached from plastic containers, such as Bisphenol A, may disrupt our hormonal systems, harm our reproductive systems and perhaps increase the risk of cancer. Animals can become trapped in large pieces of plastic garbage, and both large and small pieces may enter their bodies, physically or chemically injuring or killing them. Plastics are widespread in our lives and in the environment, and are sometimes present in unexpected places.

People who refuse to buy plastic or who reuse plastic items if they do enter their home should certainly be encouraged, but they may be shocked to learn that they are probably still adding plastic material to the environment. Researchers have discovered that every time clothing made from synthetic plastic fibers is washed, tiny strands of the garments are removed in the washing machine and may ultimately enter the ocean. Polyester, acrylic and nylon are examples of plastics used to make clothing. One garment can release 1900 plastic microfibers per wash. The fibers form an important part of the “microplastic” present in the ocean. Plastic from other sources slowly degrades to contribute to the microplastic material as well. In addition, very tiny nanoplastic particles are present in many cosmetics and contribute to the plastic collection in the oceans and its sediments.

The Problem With Microplastics

What is Plastic?

Plastic is a synthetic or semi-synthetic material which is molded and shaped when soft and then solidified. Plastics are made of organic polymers. A polymer is a long molecule made of repeating units, and the term “organic” means that the units contain carbon. Plastics can be made from a wide range of chemicals, including polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyamide (nylon), polyethylene, polypropylene and polycarbonate. One form of acrylic is poly(methyl methacrylate), or PMMA. Acrylics and polyesters are families of plastics.

It’s often thought that plastics don’t degrade, but they do in fact break down, although generally very slowly. (There are some degradable plastics that break up faster than normal plastics.) The long polymers that make up the structure of a plastic gradually break up into shorter and shorter polymers. These degradation products may still be dangerous to living things, however.

In addition, additives used to make the plastic are released as the plastic degrades. These additives include potentially harmful substances such as bisphenol A (or BPA), which is used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, and phthalates, which are added to certain plastics to make them pliable and are also present in some cosmetics. Both of these substances are endocrine (hormone) disruptors, but whether or not low levels of the chemicals harm adult humans is a controversial topic. However, many researchers agree that the chemicals are dangerous for a fetus, young children and some animals.

How Do Microplastics Differ From Plastics?

Plastics are classified according to their size. Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 mm in size (or less than 1 mm in size in some classification schemes). Nanoplastic particles are even smaller and are used in many personal care products. These end up in the water when we wash our skin or brush our teeth. (Many toothpastes contain plastics in the form of polyethylene glycol, or PEG.) Plastics are so ubiquitous in our environment that it's hard for someone to avoid absolutely all sources. A common method of classifying plastics is shown in the table below.

Plastic Classification	Size
Megaplastics	> 100 mm
Macroplastics	100 mm to 5 mm
Microplastics	5 mm to 0.330 mm
Nanoplastics	< 0.330 mm

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a huge, swirling mass of plastic and microplastic material trapped in a gyre in the North Pacific Ocean and is known as the largest landfill in the world. It's made of two areas called the Western Garbage Patch and the Eastern Garbage Patch. The Eastern Garbage Patch is larger, and its name is sometimes used as a synonym for "Great Pacific Garbage Patch".

The Eastern Garbage patch is very large, but its size is hard to measure and seems to vary. It's been described as being equal to the size of Texas, equal to twice the size of Texas or even equal to the size of Europe. The large pieces of plastic debris in the region are very obvious, although they don't form a continuous cover over the water as some people imagine. This is why the garbage patch can't be seen in satellite photos. Most people are unaware that there is a large quantity of hidden microplastic material in the area. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is shameful evidence of our love of plastic and our carelessness about its fate and its effect on other creatures when it's no longer useful.

Potential Dangers of Microplastics

The harm caused by large pieces of plastic debris that enter the ocean is well known. Animals may become entangled in the plastic or may mistake it for food. The swallowed plastic may block the animals' intestines, starve them or suffocate them. It may fill their stomachs and take the place of real food. The effects of microplastics on living things are uncertain, but researchers are concerned about their potential influence on the health of marine organisms and perhaps even on us.

Scientists know that microplastics are accumulating in oceans around the world and in ocean sediments, that they take a long time to degrade completely and that they are being ingested by marine animals at the bottom of the food chain. They have also appeared in the bodies of fish. Researchers know that other pollutants stick to the pieces of microplastic and are ingested along with the plastic particles. These pollutants include dioxins, DDT and PCB molecules (polychlorinated biphenyls). The plastic particles might be harmful, but investigators need to demonstrate this in their research.

So much microplastic material is accumulating in the ocean and it's made of such tiny particles that if we do prove that the microplastic is hurting animals - or us - it will be very hard to remove it. It's far easier to prevent the buildup of microplastic (and nanoplastic) material than to remove it.

Studying microplastic is a new endeavor and there's much that scientists don't yet know about this form of plastic. Do the plastic particles hurt living things? Do the pollutants that they carry harm animals? Do the plastic particles and the pollutants become more concentrated as they move up the food chain? Do they affect us when we eat marine animals? These are important questions which still need to be answered.

 

Pencemaran Plastik d Lautan

Pencemaran Plastik d Lautan

The Great Pacific Garbage Patches?

Discovered in 1997, by an American oceanographer named Charles Moore, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is composed largely of a combination of different types of plastic, and other articles of trash floating out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There are actually several garbage patches, but the in the pacific ocean there are two. There is an Eastern and Western Pacific Garbage Patch. They are also connected by an ocean current and pick up trash from all over the world. The Western Garbage Patch is located between Japan and Hawaii. It is somewhat smaller than the one in question here, which is the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, located between California and Hawaii.

The Eastern Garbage Patch has been described as being very large, and compared to the size of the state of Texas; which is one of largest states, if not the largest state, located in the United States. Large circular ocean currents called a gyre hold the trash accumulations.

A Plastic Soup

The largest parts of the garbage patch are floating on and below the surface of the ocean, so it is somewhat hard to see from above in aircraft or even when driving a boat through it. Over the years it has become more visible though. This plastic concoction is also located in the middle of the ocean where boats rarely go, so that is why it may have gone unnoticed for so long. Another fact to consider is that most trash was more biodegradable 50 years ago.

Shorelines and beaches become trash dumps with plastic chip dunes and plastic sand beaches when areas of this toxic mix break free from the gyre and wash inshore. There are large areas of the ocean patches covered with bulkier pieces of trash that can be seen here and there, like old bouies, plastic toys, and old fish nets.

Largely unseen, however, the majority of Garbage Patch contains a high concentration of small pieces of non-biodegradable plastic, stringy melting pieces of plastic, Styrofoam, bottle caps, and anything that doesn't break down basically.

It is everything that escaped the garbage dumps somehow, or was dumped in the ocean, and now has broken down into small plastic chips.

Pacific Garbage Patches Effect on Wildlife

The negative effects on wildlife have and will be profound with deaths by ingestion or getting tangled up in the lager pieces of trash like old fishing nets and those infamous six pack plastic rings. It is obvious that the animals are eating the trash, with pictures like the one in the above You Tube video. The bird ate plastic pieces of trash because it is colorful, and in abundance. It died because birds, or any other kind of animals, cannot digest plastic and they cannot pass larger pieces of it and it blocks up their system and they die. They sadly feed it to their young, not knowing that it will kill them.

Scientists are more concerned however with what will happen when all this plastic gets down to the molecular level in the food chain of the ocean. It has already been found that BPA plastic is harmful to rats and humans. Hence, the scare a couple years back in 2008 with baby bottles containing BPA plastics. All those old bottle containing BPA are either in landfills now, or will eventually end up out in the ocean with the rest of them.

Clean It Up Somehow

More and more efforts are taking place to better understand this predicament of ocean pollution and to try to clean up as much as possible before any more damage can occur.  Some water samples indicate that in areas of the pacific garbage patch off the coast of California there are more non-marine flotsam particles than there are live marine particles. In some cases the ratio 6 non live particle to 1 one live particle.

To remove the this waste would be counter productive. You would be removing the plastic particle waste along with a large portion of the tiny animals, like plankton and phytoplankton that make up the basis of the food chain, and that are mixed up in it. A new study was done on the effect of "Nurdles" or plastic pellets (pictured on the right), and it was found that they absorb and hold toxins in highly concentrated amounts. This process is explained in more detail in the You Tube video above.

It is still widely unknown what effects the toxic mess of the pacific garbage patch has had, and will have, upon the life of this planet.

Hubs That Explain More About This Creepy Manmade Phenomenon:

·         Earth's Oceans In BIG Trouble - Massive Plastic Pollution

Human beings are turning Earth's oceans into plastic wastelands on a massive scale never known before, and most people still are not aware of it, because popular news media avoid this critical issue in favor of breezy Hollywood gossip.

·         Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, the Continent of Garbage

There is a new continent in the Pacific Ocean. Actually it has been forming for years. It was documented in the 1950's. It is larger now, by some reports twice the size of Texas. And growing. The most...

·         Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a Bowl of Plastic Soup

Image courtesy "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" -- Wikipedia Picture this -- You get up in the morning, brush your teeth and get ready to go to work. Grabbing your travel mug you head out the door to the office....

 

 

Why I Use a Glass Water Bottle Instead of Plastic

Why I Use a Glass Water Bottle Instead of Plastic

http://chelseyo.hubpages.com/hub/From-Plastic-to-Glass-5-Reasons-to-Make-the-Switch

In a throw away society, people rarely think about what happens after they toss their plastic water bottle in a trash can instead of the recycling. After many years of personally using plastic I decided to make a small change to a more environmentally friendly life style: a glass water bottle.

At first I used a Nalgene bottle, but like most people upon learning more about the dangers of PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) I retired my trusty UC Santa Cruz Nalgene. Shortly there after, I jumped on the Kleen Kanteen train. Though I still use my Kleen Kanteen from time to time, I decided to shift towards a different kind of reusable water bottle, a corked, 750 ml, glass bottle.

Reasons why I chose glass instead of plastic or stainless steel:

1. In order to be more environmentally friendly, cut down on the petroleum used to manufacture plastic and to decrease the amount of waste in landfills, I have chosen to opt out of using plastic water bottles. Though recycling receptacles are readily available in most public places such as the park or the mall, and found in most homes and neighborhoods, plastic rarely finds its way to the recycling center. According to an article in Time Magazine, in 2005 the US produced 28 million tons of plastic waste, 27 million tons of which ended up in landfills. Only one million tons of plastic was recycled, despite recycling containers, despite children being taught to 'reduce, reuse, recycle', and despite many peoples rational that they should use plastic for the sole reason it is recyclable.

2. Plastic was created to be a durable material. Because of this, it's life span is very long, approximately 1,000 years. If you think to a thousand years from now, our children and children's children, will still be burdened by the waste we left in landfills. According to TIME magazine, plastic now take up 12% of our trash in comparison to the 1% in 1960; these bottles are taking up space in landfills that could be designated to other waste.

3. Dangers to my health. When I used plastic water bottles, I would leave them in my car, taken them to school, the gym, work, and use them for days on end. My thinking being of course, that if i was going to use plastic, I was going to get the most out of each bottle. Little did I know, by doing this, I could have been putting myself at unnecessary risk of PCBs. By exposing plastic bottles to heat and normal wear and tear, harmful PCBs leach into the water I was drinking.

4. As a recent college graduate, saving money is always a priority. I found myself buying cases of water from Costco, or just getting a bottle or two a day at the store. Say I would buy a case a month, 5 dollars a month, for a year that cost me $60. Now that number won't break the bank, but if i was buying a bottle of water day from the store at two dollars a day, I was spending $720 a year! Buying a Brita filter for my fridge cost about $15 dollars. Filling up my glass bottle with water from the Brita paid for itself in a matter of days.

5. Glass is an expensive material, however it can be reused multiple times. When exposed to heat, it does not leach out any undesirable chemicals into my drinking water making it safer for me. In many countries like Denmark, refilling glass containers is actually preferable to using plastic containers. In poorer countries like Brazil, refilling glass bottles for things like soda, is cheaper and recommended instead of A) making new glass bottles or B) using plastic. Reusing glass saves about 315 additional kilograms of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere from the production of new glass. And drinking out of a glass bottle instead of a water bottle is more fun and interesting! It's a great conversation starter and you can explain to others why you've chosen to be more environmentally conscious by making the switch to a safe reusable drinking bottle!

 

Bahaya Botol Plastik Pakai Buang

The Imminent Danger of Disposable Plastic Bottles

If you think the title of this article is overly dramatic, then you haven’t seen the numbers on disposable plastic bottle waste. America is the number one polluting nation when it comes to plastic water bottles depositing 60 million plastic bottles a day into landfills across the country. Our landfills are piling up with these non-biodegradable plastic materials which are estimated to take 1,000 years to decompose. That is not the only problem either; plastic bottles are made of crude oil which among other things has created geo-political violence over its scarcity. Seventeen million barrels of crude oil a year are used to create these plastic bottles. Oil is a non-renewable resource which means once our supply has run out - there is no way to regenerate it. Experts believe the amount of oil we have left provides us with a supply of between fifty and 250 years. Finally, many studies have shown that disposable plastic bottles can be hazardous to your health as their toxic material leaks into your water supply and has been linked to certain types of cancer.

Unfortunately finding an answer to this looming danger is not as easy as it seems. Americans have been using plastic water bottles with huge frequency for nearly two decades. Their unparalleled convenience matches perfectly with the busy lifestyle of the average working American. One possible solution is recycling. Plastic water bottles are recyclable and though the US does not have the greatest recycling infrastructure, it’s still a viable option. After recycling a plastic bottle they can be casted into other plastic materials like chairs and tables. Despite the fact that recycling has grown to become a major undertaking and industry in America only one out of every six plastic bottles are actually recycled. More recycling awareness campaigns could help increase the amount of disposable plastic bottles that are recycled but unfortunately won’t provide the sweeping change that is needed. Recycling these bottles also doesn’t alleviate the health concerns that have recently arisen about plastic bottle water consumption.

The only comprehensive solution to the imminent danger of disposable plastic bottles is to relinquish our use of them entirely. Luckily there is a viable substitute for disposable plastic bottles and that’s reusable water bottles. Reusable water bottles can be made of aluminum, hard plastic or stainless steel. These bottles will reduce the average person’s environmental impact by a lot and save people hundreds of dollars a year of plastic water bottle purchasing. Reusable water bottles can also come with special features that make them even more convenient than disposable bottles like rubber grip areas, flip top access, insulation to keep water cold and a more durable shell. Reusable water bottles, especially stainless steel or aluminum water bottles have a very long shelf life and though they are not made of easily biodegradable material, the amount of plastic waste they save makes them extremely environmentally friendly.

 

Selamatkah botol susu anak anda

Selamatkah botol susu anak anda?

Artikel : Utusan Malaysia Online
Oleh RABIATUL ADAWIYAH KOH ABDULLAH
adawiyah.koh@utusan.com.my

TIGA tahun lalu, Program Toksikologi Nasional Amerika Syarikat mengeluarkan laporan bahawa bahan kimia dikenali sebagai bisphenol A (BPA) mungkin menyebabkan masalah berkaitan hormon, termasuk baligh lebih awal di kalangan kanak-kanak dan ketumbuhan barah.

Kandungan bahan kimia BPA lazimnya ditemui pada botol susu bayi. Bertambah buruk lagi apabila botol air yang digunakan untuk minum ketika hamil juga mengandungi kimia ini.

Terdapat kebimbangan pendedahan terhadap BPA boleh memberi kesan kepada bayi dalam kandungan sama ada dari segi neurologi atau tingkah-laku. Bayi turut mengalami risiko yang sama jika kajian ini didapati benar.

Pertubuhan seperti Majlis Kimia Amerika mempertikaikan tidak ada bukti kuat bisphenol A memberi kesan buruk kepada manusia.

Ketika ini, Pentadbiran Makanan dan Ubat-ubatan Amerika Syarikat (FDA) tidak bercadang mengharamkan BPA dalam plastik. Begitupun, Kanada telah mengambil langkah awal dengan melabelkan kimia itu berbahaya.

Namun di sebalik pendedahan tentang BPA, ibu dan bapa masih mempunyai pilihan untuk memilih menggunakan cawan atau botol susu untuk bayi ada.

Selain itu, terdapat botol susu bebas BPA di pasaran dan botol susu kaca sebagai alternatif.

Jalan yang lebih selamat untuk mengelak kontroversi berkaitan keselamatan penggunaan bekas plastik adalah dengan mengelak daripada menggunakannya.

Bukan saja keselamatan anak terjamin bahkan anda sendiri tidak perlu berasa risau.

Isu BPA bukan baru tetapi masih ada alternatif lain bagi mereka yang mahu mengekalkan botol lama.

Seorang pakar perubatan sebuah hospital persendirian di Lembah Klang memberitahu, botol susu polikarbonat telah sejak dahulu lagi. Sebagai seorang doktor, beliau sendiri belum pernah menerima atau merawat kes bayi atau kanak-kanak akibat polikarbonat.

“Dalam kehidupan seharian, kemungkinan botol-botol minuman palikarbonat yang kita gunakan turut terdedah dengan bahan BPA atau Bisphenol A.

‘‘Justeru itu, ia bukan satu persoalan yang baru tetapi semua pihak perlu melakukan kajian terperinci agar botol susu yang digunakan tidak memudaratkan kesihatan. ‘‘Adakah satu tahap nanti, ibu bapa perlu menggunakan botol kaca?,” ujar doktor tersebut yang mengutarakan pendapat ringkas.

Menurut Pegawai Perubatan Hospital Pantai Ampang, Dr. Hanafiah Bashirun, BPA adalah bahan kimia industri yang digunakan untuk mmbuat botol susu bayi polikarbonat agar botol tersebut keras dan lutsinar.  “Baru-baru ini kajian Universiti Malaya mendapati percampuran bahan BPA dengan kandungan botol susu berkenaan pada suhu tertentu memberi kesan kepada kesihatan bayi dan kanak-kanak.

‘‘BPA ini pula akan menyebabkan gangguan pada sistem hormon badan bayi sekali gus menjejaskan sistem tubuh badan bayi. Tetapi tiada sebarang kajian saintifik untuk mengesahkan fakta tersebut,” katanya.

Sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga, ibu bapa yang mampu dinasihatkan agar memilih botol susu bebas BPA, contohnya polypropylene (PP), polyethersulfone (PES), polyamides (PA). Beliau memberitahu, botol susu yang mengandungi BPA biasanya bersifat keras dan lutsinar. Selain itu, perhatikan label kod identifikasi plastik pada bawah botol susu. Botol susu dengan BPA akan dilabel dengan ‘nombor 7', ‘nombor 7 dan PC’ atau ‘nombor 7 dan other’.

Bagi ibu bapa yang sedang menggunakan botol susu mengandungi BPA, adalah dinasihatkan agar menukar botol tersebut kepada botol ‘bebas BPA’. Jika masih ingin menggunakan botol lama, Dr. Hanafiah menasihatkan agar mereka melakukan langkah berikut :-

l Steril botol susu bayi mengikut arahan pengendalian pada label atau yang diberikan oleh pengeluar, jika ada.

l Jika tiada panduan, pengguna perlu merendam botol susu polikarbonat dalam air yang mendidih selama lima hingga 10 minit.

l Elak menggunakan air panas secara terus dalam botol susu bayi polikarbonat untuk membancuh susu.

l Guna peralatan mencuci botol susu yang sesuai seperti span dan berus lembut bagi mengelak permukaan dalam menjadi rosak dan bercalar.

l Sentiasa periksa permukaan dalam botol susu dan jika ada kesan calar atau rosak, ia perlu diganti.

l Jika tiada kerosakan, botol susu perlu diganti setiap enam bulan.

Katanya, kesan penggunaan botol susu yang mengandungi BPA adalah bersifat jangka panjang.

“Ini disebabkan kesan sampingan pada sistem hormon. Adalah agak sukar untuk mengesannya dalam jangka masa pendek kerana kesannya masih tidak kelihatan. Perlu diingat, tidak ada situasi kecemasan yang timbul disebabkan kesan BPA tersebut,” ujar beliau.

Kebanyakan ibu sibuk dengan kerjaya dan penggunaan susu botol adalah sebagai alternatif bagi mereka yang ingin memberi susu ibu. Seperti yang kita sedia maklum, susu yang terbaik adalah susu ibu.

Berhubung dengan tumbesaran bayi, tiada sebarang kesan pada tumbesaran bagi kanak-kanak yang berumur lima tahun ke atas yang masih menyusu menggunakan susu botol.

Ini kerana zat nutrisi yang terdapat pada susu tersebut juga penting.

Bagaimanapun pada usia tersebut, digalakkan mereka di ajar menggunakan cawan atau botol biasa terutama jika mula memasuki zaman persekolahan.

“ Biasanya pihak hospital tidak akan memberitahu atau mencadangkan jenis-jenis botol susu tertentu yang harus digunakan. Ini kerana kebanyakan hospital menggalakkan penyusuan susu badan. Akan tetapi, pada masa ini, adalah amat digalakkan penggunaan susu botol yang mengandungi BPA dielakkan,” katanya.

Kenal pasti botol susu jenis polikarbonat

l Bersifat keras dan lutsinar yang mana ia mengandungi BPA.

l Botol susu tersebut juga boleh dikenali melalui kod identifikasi plastik yang biasa didapati di bawah botol susu bayi.

l Kod identifikasinya adalah nombor 7, nombor 7 dan PC, nombor 7 dan ‘other’.

l Sementara itu, botol susu bayi yang bebas BPA biasanya dilabelkan dengan perkataan ‘BPA free’ atau bebas BPA.