If plastic is just complex chains of carbon, why are there concerns of toxic chemicals being released when it touches food or is accidentally burned/consumed?

Question

If plastic is just complex chains of carbon, why are there concerns of toxic chemicals being released when it touches food or is accidentally burned/consumed?

In: 5

Answer 1

The molecules are not stable. They “react” and change. When carbon-based molecules are in flux because of heat or sunlight or exposure to other chemicals, the bits and pieces “recombine” in odd ways and sometimes they form bad stuff. If nine of them form something that’s not really that bad, and “only” one of them forms into something that causes cancer…cancer multiplies rapidly and takes over.