Just in case you missed any earlier reports, BPA is a chemical building block used mainly for the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. While we may breathe it in air or dust containing BPA, almost 99% of BPA exposure is through our food and beverage intake. BPA is used in everything from disposable tableware, plastic baby bottles, CD’s, and canned goods; to mobile phones and water pipes. Infants and children ingest the most BPA on a daily basis, partly because they breathe and consume more pound for pound than adults. In addition, children inadvertently ingest toxins by playing, crawling, and putting their mouths on objects. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report from 2004 found that 93% of the 2,500 people studied had detectable levels of BPA in their urine. BPA was also found in the bloodstream of expecting women in addition to breast milk.
The NTP Stance
The National Toxicology Program (NTP), a branch of the National Institute of Health, is comprised of some of the top physicians and scientists. Their new findings, announced this week, states that BPA may alter brain development and behavior in addition to increasing the risk of prostate cancer in infants, children, and fetuses. The NTP’s assessment was based on the review of 261 previous studies, new studies, and an expert panel put together by the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction whom evaluated BPA’s potential to cause adverse effects on reproductive development in humans. BPA was selected for evaluation due to the vast human exposure, public concern, mass production of BPA, and previous evidence of harmful effects on rats in study. For the full report details, visit the National Institute of Health.
The new NTP report is a direct contradiction of the FDA’s announcement last month that consumption of BPA in the trace amounts it is currently found in throughout the food supply does not pose any health risks. The FDA’s August 15 report
stated that based on lab tests on rats, infants and adults are not exposed to toxic levels of BPA. The Environmental Working Group warns that while the NTP assessment was based on independent scientists and researchers across the globe, the FDA’s announcement was based on only 3 studies funded by the chemical industry.
It is safe to say the BPA debate will rage on for months to come. One thing both sides of the debate agree on is that much more research is needed. Even though BPA is in many common household items, the greatest amount of leaching into to food or beverages comes from plastic bottles and canned goods. To reduce use, try frozen foods instead of canned as they are not subject to BPA leaching and are far more nutrient dense. For more ways to limit BPA ingestion, see the “5 Ways to Reduce Kids’ Toxin Exposure″ post.
Tags: baby bottles, bpa
