BPA Info Blog

Medical Issues Caused by BPA

2008-06-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Bisphenol A can be leached by numerous items we all use everyday. Even though the risks are still in a huge debate as to whether BPA is good or bad, there are some medical issues that early tests are showing to have been caused because of our common use of the polycarbonate component.

We already know that Bisphenol A mimics the estrogen hormone.
For those who don't know, estrogen is the main sex hormone found in women. It also plays a key role in a women's ability to reproduce.
Too much estrogen can lead to enlarged prostate glands, growth of the prostate is directed by this and other sex hormones.

There was also evidence found showing that in adult mice after eposure to BPA they had an insulin resistance.
Insulin is a hormone that stimulates glucose transportation into cells. Insulin resistance in people is a progenitor to Type 2 Diabetes.
Insulin resistance in people is also tied to congestive heart failure.

With scientific tests showing results like this, it provides us with one big question as to how important it is to develope new public health measures to ensure the consumers safety agaist such a commonly used chemical component in plastics.

What are governments doing about Bisphenol A?

2008-06-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Governement of Canada was the first to take action on the use of Bisphenol A.

April 18, 2008 Canada announced that it would be the first to put a ban on baby bottles that contain Bisphenol A, after concluding that the chemical is indeed toxic in studies.
Science tells that exposure levels to newborns and infants are below the levels that cause effects, but the Government believes that the current safety margin needs to be higher. Putting to use the old saying "Better safe then sorry".

Other countries are still on the fence about what to do. Many are waiting for more studies to be completed before making announcements.

The proposed baby bottle ban, as well as the recommendation to list bisphenol A as a toxic substance in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is subject to a 60-day public consultation period.
The industry had petitioned the Canadian Government to keep bisphenol A on the market as part of this ongoing risk assessment. It then had two months to present any new information.

If nothing new is found, the chemical will be declared officially a toxin, and a ban of plastic baby bottles with BPA could be in place within 12 months.
Marking the first time that Ottawa uses the toxin designation under the environmental protection law to ban a consumer product.

Which baby bottles contain Bisphenol A

2008-06-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Tests where conducted by the group Enviromental Defense, a Toronto enviromental group.

They found that 3 major brands of bottles leached detectable amounts of bisphenol A.

The group tested these brands:
Avent
Gerber
Playtex

More indepth look at the results- Enviromental Defense tested 3 bottle from each manufacturer.
Playtex bottles leaked BPA in all cases, heated or not heated.
Gerber and Avent always leaked BPA when heated. 1 Avent bottle and all 3 Gerber bottles had no detectable levels of BPA when stored at room temperature.

The maker of Playtex bottles, Energizer Holdings Inc., referred to a website statement that said "multiple regulatory agencies ... advise us and consumers that the use of polycarbonate plastic bottles is safe and should not cause concern for parents.”

Here is a tip to find out whether other items in your household contain BPA or not.
Bisphenol A is often identified with the plastic industry's recycling symbol of the number seven, enclosed in a triangle.
Similar to this:

The hard, clear shatter proof plastic that looks like glass, is also applied in DVDs, sporting helmets, resins lining the insides of food cans, and dental sealants. Consumers generally have no way of knowing which of these items contains the chemical.

You do have other options. Here are a few esxamples of baby bottles that do not contain BPA (click images for more information from retailer)

Medela

Evenflo

Dr.Brown's

Born Free

More information on Bisphenol A coming soon, please check back again over the next couple days.

Bisphenol-A Information

2008-06-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

To start off, lets take a quick look at what Bisphenol-A is and what every ones main concern in reguards to it.

Bisphenol A is an organic compound. Containing two phenol functional groups, it is a disfunctional building block to several important polymers and polymer additives. BPA has become controversial because it mimics estrogen and could induce hormonal responses.

Bisphenol A's current uses are enormous. It is used in the synthesis of polyesters, polysulfones, and polyether ketones, as an antioxidant in some plasticizers, and as a polymerization inhibitor in PVC. It is key in production of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.
Related note: Polycarbonate plastic, which is clear and nearly shatter-proof, is used to make a variety of common products including baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical devices, CDs, and household electronics. Epoxy resins are used as coatings on the inside of some food and beverage cans. It is also a precursor to the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A, and was formerly used as a fungicide.

Causes for Concern:
Should you be concerned about BPA and your baby? Simply, yes.
BPA is classed by the Government of Canada as a hormone disruptor. Studies have linked low-dose BPA exposure to: increase prostate weight, decline in testosterone, breast cells predisposed to cancer, permanent changes to genital tract, prostate cells more sensitive to hormones and cancer, and hyperactivity.

Here is what to look for in my next post:

Which baby bottles contain BPA