Bisphenol A (BPA)

My sister-in-law sent me the following letter and I thought I'd share it with a wider audience. Thanks to her for her time and the information!

I don't know if you have been hearing about the chemical in plastics, Bisphenol A (BPA), but it seems it's not good. It's in both baby bottles and formula cans, and in regular drinking bottles and plastic containers. Below is information on both.

Bisphenol A is a developmental, neural, and reproductive toxicant that mimics estrogen and can interfere with healthy growth and body function. The levels sufficient to cause harm in animals are beneath the average levels reported in people living throughout the developed world.

Experiments with animals link exposure at very low doses to a range of serious health problems including:

• prostate and breast cancer

• early onset of puberty

• obesity

• hyperactivity

• lowered sperm count

• miscarriage

• diabetes

• altered immune system

In my reading on preparing to be a parent, this issue has come up in relation to baby bottles and formula. Apparently, BPA is the building block for the plastic used in 95% of baby bottles and as a coating in baby formula cans. As bottles are used over time, particularly with heating (dishwasher, hot liquids in them), the plastic starts to break down and the BPA leaches into the baby's milk/formula. Animal studies demonstrate that the chemical causes damage to reproductive, neurological and immune systems during critical stages of development, such as infancy and in the womb.

To learn more re: babies:

1) http://www.chej.org/BPA_Website.htm AND

http://www.chej.org/documents/BabysToxicBottleFinal.pdf

Report by a coalition of Canadian and US public health and environmental health NGOs. You’ll only need to read the first few pages; they reviewed over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles.

2) It is easy to find sites that sell bottles without BPA--just do a search for 'baby bottles bisphenol A'.

3) If you'd like to hear the other side of the story, I found this site (created by the chemical and plastics industry):

http://www.bisphenol-a.org/

This web site is sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association

It's not just baby bottles!!! The Today Show ran a segment the recently concerning BPA, also found in some plastic drinking bottles, storage containers, and as a coating for tin cans. The chemical has the potential to negatively affect reproduction in men and women. On the bottom of your plastic bottles and containers is a recycle triangle, which has a number in the middle. The plastic bottles/containers that contain Bisphenol A and are potentially 'hazardous' for consumers are those that show a 3, 6, or 7. The guests of the Today Show recommend that consumers not use these '3', '6', or '7' bottles/containers, even for a one-time use.

If you would like to view the Today Show segment, please visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

You can also visit the website www.iatp.org to learn more about this subject.

22 April 2008