Families Online Magazine

Bisphenol A ( BPA) is a chemical compound used to produce clear plastic and epoxy resins. BPA is used in plastic baby bottles, hard sports bottles and metal food can liners which are lined with plastic to prevent a metallic taste in food.

Studies* show that low doses of BPA in animals cause breast and prostate cancer, reproductive problems, diabetes, impacts the immune system, and causes alterations of brain chemistry and behavioral changes such as ADHD and autism.

The National Toxicology Program (NTP), which is part the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a recent report expressing concern about the high levels of BPA in humans and said it has "some concern" about the effects on BPA on pregnant women and young children.

What can I do to prevent exposure to BPA?

• Use baby bottles that are BPA free.
• Don't microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from over use at high temperatures.

• Polycarbonate containers that contain BPA usually have a #7 on the bottom (http://www.recyclenow.org/r_plastics.html) .

• Reduce your use of canned foods.

• When possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.

Part II Coming May 10

A look at the controversy over BPA in the chemical community and the investigation into why U.S.agencies have been so slow to act to protect people from the harmful affects of BPA.

Canada became the first country in the world to act when Health Minister Tony Clement announced a plan to ban the import and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing BPA. Minister Clement warned parents still using the plastic baby bottles against the "common practice of sterilizing them with boiling water or adding boiling water to them for mixing formula". Heating the plastic causes BPA "to leach out and give an inadvertent dose of the chemical to children". He also warned pregnant women to minimize consumption of beverages from heated polycarbonate bottles

Concerning newborns and infants, he added. "We have concluded that early development is sensitive to the effects of bisphenol A. Although our science tells us that exposure levels to newborns and infants are below levels that cause effects, we believe the current safety margin needs to be higher."

Environmental Defence in Canada has expressed the most concern about canned foods,
stating that tin cans are not labeled with the symbol the number seven inside a triangle that marks water bottles containing BPA. Some studies have also shown tin can liners containing BPA break down more readily when they come into contact with fatty food such as fish and acidic food such as tomatoes and apple juice. It also breaks down more readily in the presence of alcohol.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of BPA in the 1960's according the agency spokesperson Mike Herndon.
Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-MI), Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, have initiated an investigation into (BPA). "There are serious health concerns about whether Bisphenol A is safe, not only for adults, but for children and infants," Dingell and Stupak wrote seven prominent manufacturers of baby food, as well as the Food and Drug Administration.

Mr. Hendorn said that the:

"FDA has been reviewing the emerging literature on Bisphenol A on a continuous basis. For example, FDA has recently completed a review of data concerning the biological fate of BPA and two recently completed multigeneration reproductive studies (one in the rat and one in the mouse.

FDA formed an agency-wide BPA task force to facilitate cross-agency review of current research and new information on BPA for all

FDA regulated products. As a result of this review, the task force will make recommendations to the Commissioner regarding next steps.

As part of the evaluation, the FDA Task Force is reviewing the concerns presented in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Draft Brief published recently by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. We also are reviewing the concerns presented in the Canadian draft risk assessment released in April 2008, and are coordinating closely with Health Canada
and the Canadian Ministry of the Environment and Minister of Health."

Sources:

vom Saal, FS, SM Belcher, LJ Guillette, R Hauser, JP Myers, GS Prins, WV Welshons, JJ Heindel et al. 2007. Chapel Hill Bisphenol A Expert Panel Consensus Statement: Integration of mechanisms, effects in animals and potential impact to human health at current exposure levels. Reproductive Toxicology, in press [PDF].

Bisphenol A causes hyperactivity in the rat concomitantly with impairment of tyrosine hydroxylase … M Ishido, Y Masuo, M Kunimoto, S Oka, M Morita - Journal of Neuroscience Research, 2004 - doi.wiley.com ... Whereas the cause of both ADHD and autism may be multifactorial, the potential effects of endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A on human neuronal functions ...

Perinatal exposure to bisphenol-A alters peripubertal mammary gland development in mice. [Endocrinology. 2005]
Exposure to environmentally relevant doses of the xenoestrogen bisphenol-A alters development of the fetal mouse mammary gland. [Endocrinology. 2007]