The bisphenol A (BPA) story is not yet over. More revelations about this chemical found in plastics are coming in as scientists are stepping up on BPA research. The recent undesirable BPA effect is female infertility and this was reported by Yale University researchers at the recent meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The Yale researchers have observed that when pregnant mice were exposed to BPA, the genetic chemistry of their female offspring is irreversibly altered. The researchers have the identified the gene in question as HOXA10, which regulates the normal development of the uterus and fertility, not only in mice, but also in humans. BPA sometimes plays havoc with the gene’s switching on and off. They can conceive but their ability to carry the pregnancy to full term is compromised, leading to permanent fertility loss.

In a way, this doesn’t surprise me, considering that BPA is an endocrine disruptor and mimics the effect of estrogen, and therefore plays havoc with hormonal balance.

However, this isn’t the only bad news about BPA.

University of Cincinnati researchers reported irregular heart rhythms in female mice (but not male!) exposed to BPA.

Now, if ever health authorities claim again that current BPA exposure is too low to cause these effects, University of Missouri-Columbia experts will definitely show their new estimate that BPA exposure among Americans is much higher that the so-called maximum safe dose.

These recent findings are alarming themselves but what concerns me are the following:

• Babies in the uterus are exposed and possibly already damaged by BPA even before they are born.
• Females seem to be strongly affected by BPA, because of its capacity to mimic estrogen.

In other words, BPA is affecting our reproductive cycle and will be affecting or has already affected the next generation of mothers.

The scientists at the Endocrine Society Meeting issued a scientific statement declaring that BPA and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals in food, water and consumer products represent a “significant concern to public health.”

I really hope that the health authorities are listening.

Another victory for American consumers! On June 2, the state of California Senate voted to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from the packaging of baby food and beverage products. You remember BPA, right? It’s that carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor compound found to leach out from plastic bottles (including baby bottles!) and food packaging (including baby formula!).

Well, it seems that the Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797) of California will finally put an end to the use of this chemical in the manufacture of plastics and plastic-containing products. At least until the Act goes through the State Assembly. The legislation is also known as the Pavley Bill as it was introduced by Senator Fran Pavley.

The industry lobbyists did try their best to sway the Senate’s decision in their favor but it the end, the Senate members acted rationally based on the mounting scientific evidence that BPA is detrimental to our health. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), research studies have linked BPA exposure to the following diseases and health problems:

• Breast cancer

• Heart disease

• Birth defects

• Prostate cancer

• Infertility

• Premature puberty in girls

• Diabetes

• Obesity

California is the not the first state to ban BPA. Earlier this year, Minnesota, then Connecticut set the precedence. It is expected that more states will follow. This is despite the fact that the US FDA has declared the levels of BPA in the food and beverages are very low and considered to be harmless.

As Breast Cancer Fund Gretchen Lee Salter policy manager rightly said “…kids had to come first before the lobbyists.” Indeed, with the Pavley Bill, this is exactly what happened.

It was “a major public health victory” according to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in a press release. He is referring to the pledge made by America’s top six baby bottle companies to stop using Bisphenol-A (BPA) in their manufacturing process of baby bottles.

He has the right to feel elated as many other anti-BPA advocates in North America. If we backtrack, BPA was a big thing last year when it was found out that this chemical used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics is leaching out into the drinks and other food products. The Canadian regulatory body Health Canada made the unprecedented move to ban BPA in baby bottles in autumn last year. However, the US FDA claimed that BPA concentrations present in food products are too low to cause any real harm despite “concerns” expressed in a report by the National Institute of Health’s National Toxicology Program. According to the NTP report, BPA exposure may have possibly affect reproductive, neurological and immune systems. Other studies have linked BPA to cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and diabetes.

However, the BPA issue was overshadowed by the melamine scandal and more recently by the peanut butter recalls.

Blumenthal and his counterparts in the states of Delaware and New Jersey wrote a letter to the baby bottle companies last year urging them to stop using BPA. The good news was received earlier this month. Six companies – Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow – voluntarily agreed to phase out BPA from their manufacturing process of baby bottles and sippy cups.

Hurrah! This is one health issue where North America is far ahead of Europe!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that it plans to study the effects of BPA in depth in the future.  Currently, the FDA says that BPA’s are safe.  According to experts, the FDA bases this on the results of two studies done by other groups.  These studies, which were funded by chemical industries, claim that BPA’s are safe.

The National Toxicology Program has determined from it’s research that BPA’s, even in small amounts, can cause changes in brain development and behavior in infants and small children.  BPA’s are most easily ingested when chemicals from plastic containers seep into food and drink.

I became concerned about this when I saw an article that the bottles that I’d used for my son had a high concentration of BPA’s.  I began to try to find products without the chemical and was shocked at the lack of choices I found.  Many companies that made infant bottles weren’t even forthcoming with information it seemed.

Several months have passed and while strolling down the baby aisle last week, I noticed several products that actually announced that their product was BPA free.  I bought several BPA free products that day for my son.

Call me cynical, but I don’t buy the FDA’s position that this chemical is safe.  I’m grateful that I now have choices for safer products to purchase for my son.

Do you seek out products that advertise that they are BPA free? Do you agree with the FDA that this chemical is safe?

Just when you thought (maybe) BPA was safe, we find out that the FDA did not include important evidence in its report.

It turns out that the report’s thumbs-up for BPA was based on studies paid for by the plastics industry! It also conveniently ignored information from some independent studies.

The short story is that the FDA said BPA (a chemical used to harden plastic for products like baby bottles) was safe at the levels typically ingested by babies. However, the conclusion may be wrong on a few different levels. For one, they underestimated how much BPA babies take in, especially considering they may get it from several sources, not just bottles. But it also seems that BPA can be harmful at levels 10 times lower than they reported.

The National Toxicology Program, also a government group, said last month that there IS concern about how BPA alters brain and prostate development, as well as behavior in children and fetuses.

Not only that, but a new report just traced a link between exposure to BPA and resistance to chemotherapy treatment.

Currently, it is suggested that plastics #1,2,4, and 5 are safer choices than others (look in the recycling triangle for the number). I don’t like to join a hysteria bandwagon, and like “they” say–we survived despite our parents’ ignorance. But when it comes to things like this, I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. What will it hurt me to buy plastics that are BPA-free?

Last week, attorney generals from the states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware wrote letters to 11 manufacturers asking them to eliminate bisphenol A (BPA) from milk formula packaging as well from baby bottles. This is to avoid BPA getting into our babies’ diet. So far, I haven’t heard anything about the manufacturers’ response. For a recap of the health issues of BPA, check previous posts.

As earlier as October and November last year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) already looked into this issue. EWG tested several well-known formula brands and detected BPA in almost all of them. EWG also surveyed leading manufacturers of milk formulas, including Nestl?, Similac and PBM, about their packaging. Most of the manufacturers admitted that BPA is present in their packaging. A few denied it but provided no documentation to support their claims. Powdered formula sold by Similac are probably reduced-risk choices, according to EWG, because only the metal tops but not the cardboard sides are lined with BPA-based plastic.

Here are some recommendations by EWG:

• If you don’t know whether your formula is packaged with BPA, ask the manufacturer and demand a straight answer.
• Go for powdered formulas instead of liquid formulas. EWG estimates that babies drinking reconstituted powdered formula are exposed to 8 to 20 times less BPA than those who drink liquid formula in metal cans.
• If you have to have liquid formula, then go for those sold in plastic containers or purchase concentrated and the not ready-to-eat brands. Dilution with water of concentrated formula reduces the amount of BPA in the baby’s diet.
• If possible, breastfeed your baby. Breast milk is still the safest diet for small babies.

For more details, check out EWG’s Guide to Infant Formula and Baby Bottles.

I am not an alarmist so when the news about bisphenol A (BPA) broke, although I became wary of plastics, I didn’t do anything about it. But the latest bad news, including a report by the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, cannot be ignored. BPA exposure can cause a lot of health problems ranging from cancer, hormonal disorders and heart diseases. So there I was, googling my way through a plethora of information on plastics in order to protect myself and my family. Here is what I’ve found out:

Not all plastics are created equal

Not all plastics contain BPA. There are 7 classes of plastics used as packaging and in most cases, you can actually see which type of plastic you have. If you turn over the plastic cup you are holding, you will see a triangular recycling symbol at the bottom. In addition, there is a number at the center of the symbol and letters below the symbol. The number indicates which type of plastic your cup is made and the letters are usually abbreviations of the plastic names.

According to this table provided by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the seven types of plastics are:

Sources: plastics industry Web sites, CSPI; wikipedia

BPA is found in most but not all Type 7 plastics, according to CSPI. Wikipedia says BPA is found in Type 7 and Type 3 plastics. The other 4 types are supposedly BPA-free.

It’s all in the packaging

Now, the packaging of your food may give you the nutritional facts but does not necessary tell you the components of the materials. Some cans, for example, are lined with plastic that contains BPA. So if in doubt, check out these recommendations from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI):

• Go for frozen instead of canned food.
• Drink softdrinks in BPA-free polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. PET bottles are the easiest plastic to recycle. Protect yourself and protect the environment.
• Go for foodstuff packed in aseptic cardboard rather than plastic boxes.
• Go for fresh food whenever possible, without the plastic wrapping, of course.Fresh food is healthier and more environmentally friendly.
• Do not put plasticware in the dishwasher or the microwave oven.

Finally, why not just get rid of all your Type 3 and Type 7 plasticware- You’d be better off with glass or porcelain.

Download this helpful brochure from CSPI!

Bisphenol A is a chemical present in plastics used to make, amongst other things, baby bottles and sippy cups. The effects Bisphenol A, or BPA, might have on our health has been of concern for years, and is at last getting attention from the heath authorities in the US.

BPA mimics the effects of reproductive hormones in the body. Animal studies have shown BPA damages rat eggs and chromosomes, and predisposes laboratory animals to certain cancers.

Bottle manufacturers have tried to play down evidence from animal studies, saying that it’s not possible to prove BPA is harmful in babies just by looking at lab rats. Until now, no conclusive studies have ever shown that BPA is harmful to humans.

A study released today from Exeter University in the United Kingdom has found that adults with high levels of BPA in their bodies have higher rates of certain diseases: heart disease, diabetes, and liver disease. People with the highest levels of BPA were three times as likely to suffer from heart disease. The study examined adults, not babies, but serious effects in adults can’t be ignored as easily as health problems in laboratory animals.

Canada is already doing something about the problem of BPA. Canadian legislation is set to ban BPA in baby bottles sold in the country.

The results of the Exeter University study will now be examined by the Food and Drug Administration who will decide if any action needs to be taken in the US.

Whatever the FDA decides, major retailers like Target, Walmart and Babies-R-Us have already taken action. Many retailers have responded to parental demands for BPA-free bottles, and have stopped selling, or are in the process of phasing out BPA-containing bottles.

It’s not publicized by the company, but Babies-R-Us will refund or exchange BPA bottles, including used bottles, and even without a receipt. If you bought your baby’s bottles from Babies-R-Us, and they are the type which contain BPA, Babies R Us will give you a store credit or exchange them for bottles without BPA. As it’s not an official program, you might need to speak to a manager to get an exchange for your old bottles, but I know several moms who have replaced their entire bottle collection with BPA-free bottles at Babies-R-Us.

And, here’s a list of BPA-free baby bottles and sippy cups.

Remember bisphenol A or BPA, that chemical that lead to plastic bottle recalls in Canada earlier this year? Remember it has been found to be present in many other products including canned foods, plastic dental braces, and yes – our baby bottles? Well, finally, the health authorities are paying attention.

According to a report by the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health releases earlier this month, there is reason for “some concerns” that BPA might be linked to harmful health effects ranging from prostate and brain cancer to behavioral effects in infants and children. There is also “minimal concern” about BPA effects on breast development and early puberty in female children. The final report can be viewed here. An audio file on NIH radio by NIH toxicologists can also be heard here.

In the meantime, a Subcommittee of the Science Board to the US FDA is due to meet on September 16 to discuss BPA.

The view on BPA’s harmful effects is quite mixed, according to this article in Reuters. Canada has announced plans to ban BPA in baby and children products. Some American states are seriously considering to follow suit. Surprisingly, the European Union thinks otherwise. In a BPA update last July, the European Food Safety Authority declared that BPA the human body can quickly metabolize BPA and eliminate the chemical from the body, including newborn infants. The health risks due to BPA exposure are therefore minimal, according to EFSA.

Now, consumers, speak out. What do you think?

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ll have heard all about Bisphenol A, or BPA, the potentially harmful chemical found in many baby bottles and sippy cups. And probably, you’ve been wondering why the government allows baby bottles to contain BPA.

Several manufacturers, like Playtex and Nalgen, are phasing out BPA-containing products, due to customer demand. Playtex is offering a free BPA-free bottle liner on it’s website to promote it’s BPA-free products. And stores like Wal-Mart are planning to stop selling BPA-containing products by early 2009.

The Canadian governement is going one step further, and is in the process of legislation that will outright ban the sale of bottles containing BPA.

BPA is a chemical that mimics the effect of hormones in the body. It’s been proven to cause damage to rat and mouse eggs and chromosomes, and predispose them to certain cancers. No studies have ever conclusively shown BPA to cause damage in humans, but since it is clearly harmful to lab rats, who wants to take chances with our babies?

Here in the US, the federal National Toxicology Program is studying the chemical, and their preliminary reports agree that BPA may be linked to serious problems in humans. Let’s hope that the US government follows Canada’s lead, and BPA is banned here too.

Here`s a new development to the issue of bisphenol A (BPA) contamination.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is now advising pregnant and breastfeeding women (as well as their babies) to minimize exposure to this suspected carcinogen and endocrine-disruptive substance. A previous post reported about drinking bottles taken off from store shelves due to BPA. The current warning indicated its`s not only polycarbonate hard plastics that`s involved. BPA may also be found in epoxy resin-lined metal cans containing soups, vegetable preserves and other food products.

CSPI gives the following recommendations to consumers:
? Buy fresh or frozen food products.
? Parents should make sure that their children are using BPA-free formula bottles and sippie cups.
? Food manufacturers should completely eliminate BPA from their packaging.

Exposure to BPA is suspected to cause cancer and reproductive disorders. Although there is currently little toxicological data available, many experts are concerned about BPA`s effect on children`s development and health.

Source:

CSPI Newsroom, 2 April 08

Recent studies have found that the chemical BPA, also founds in other plastics, has some retailers pulling products from shelves. Many eco-conscious Americans actively use hard plastic refillable containers to carry water and other liquids in in order to help keep the number of disposable water bottles out of landfills. These types of containers have seen a sharp spike in consumer purchase, especially seen in stores on the west coast. Earlier this year the mayor of San Francisco put an order into effect that banned plastic water bottles inside the city limits to help cut down on the environmental impact being felt all over the world by this type of un-biodegradable waste accumulation.

While this has been a good step for the environment, residents of San Fransisco complain that the tap water and public water supply contains added fluoride supposed to help slow tooth decay but has been shown scientifically to be mostly ineffective and harmful to health, arguing that this added chemical is a waste of tax payer’s dollars. Because of many residents not wanting to consume water straight from the tap many have turned to in-home water supplies such as deep rock and Sparkletts machine and have turned to the refillable plastic containers put out by a variety of companies, most notably including those at Nalgene. The recent findings of the hormone copying chemical BPA has retailers and consumers concerned and many stores have pulled these and other related products from shelves. While there has not been a national or full state ban on these type of materials, many individually owned businesses have already pulled products. California is currently discussing a state-wide ban on these affected products and if passed would be the first ban on a chemical in the world.

In response to the findings of this chemical in other products such as baby bottles and children’s drinking cups, green companies are encouraging parents to pay attention and check online sources before buying such products. While green alternatives can be a little bit pricier and harder to find, sources say that plastic companies are working hard to remove this chemical and are turning towards developing their own green products for mass production in the upcoming year. For now, moms concerned about plastic baby bottles should do their research and a good option to help reduce this risk is the drop in disposable liner products that are found in mostly all retail stores and are put out by Playtex, Evenflo, and other store-brand generic alternatives.

For more information and sourcing material please visit: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1198311904271120.xml&coll=7

and please visit this site for information on this issue ad many others: http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/bpa041505.cfm