FDA ignores new bisphenol A health risks

by Terri Potratz | September 16, 2008 at 09:13 am

1170 views | 12 Recommendations | 15 comments

Endocrine disruptor bisphenol A has long been held suspect against a host of health issues, including cancer, early onset puberty and reproductive disorders, and it has now also been linked to heart disease and diabetes. Green agencies and health advocates have long rallied to ban bisphenol A, a toxin which is widely used in hard plastics and the linings of tin cans.

BPA is a one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals and is used to make hard plastic items such as: drinking glasses, baby bottles, food-storage containers, the lining of food and beverage containers, and dental sealants. Previous studies have shown adverse health effects of BPA on the brain and reproductive system, as well as metabolic diseases in laboratory animals. After a two-year review, the United States National Toxicology Program stated its concern that, at current levels of exposure, BPA posed a risk to human infants.

Health Canada declared earlier this year that the chemical was indeed "dangerous," but the US FDA refuses to acknowledge the harmful properties of bisphenol A despite abundant studies that indicate otherwise.

The Journal of the American Medical Association research showed that individuals with bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine were twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease, although this particular study doesn't prove causality.

In the same issue of JAMA, two leading US scientists have called for "aggressive action" to limit human exposure, acusing drug regulators in the US and Europe of turning a blind eye to warning signs in animal studies.

The results of the trial will today be put before a committee of the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, which is considering what action, if any, needs to be taken.

While additional research is required to prove direct associations between BPA and the various diseases it has been linked to, the warning signs suggest that caution should be observed - especially when it comes to the safety of infants and children, who are most susceptible to the harmful effects of BPA.

But you don't have to leave it up to government agencies to ban BPA in order to limit your exposure to it:

7 Ways to beat BPA, in order of Importance:

1. Ditch the clear plastic baby bottles, right now. All the research that says there are problems point at the effect of the estrogen-like BPA on children as being the most significant.
2. Tin cans are often lined in plastic BPA and sit around a long time; get rid of older tin cans, particularly if they contain tomatoes and other acidic fruits.
3. Don't use your polycarbonate bottle for hot drinks.
4. Polycarbonate bottles get crazed and cracked as they get older; that increases surface area. Get rid of old ones.
5. Replace your Polycarbonate bottle with a Sigg, Kleen Kanteen, or the new BPA free Camelbak, particularly if pregnant or pre-pubescent.
6. Replace jugs where water sits around a long time, like Brita knockoffs. (Brita says they are BPA free)
7. Stop using jugged water cooler water, get a filter and cooler that uses city water. It is a big jug so there probably isn't much of a problem, but why are you drinking bottled water anyways?

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chowdawg

at 09:39 on September 16th, 2008

I spent my entire university career lugging around a Nalgene; everyone at Guelph had one (not to mention a pair of Birks and a hoodie). A whole generation of Nalgene toting tree-huggers who thought they were doing the earth a favor are now reading all these awful things about our best efforts to stay hydrated on campus.

Terri Potratz

at 10:25 on September 16th, 2008

Same thing happened when I was at uni, everyone had one of those Nalgene bottles....now they're all headed for the landfill, I suppose.

Paublo

at 12:06 on September 16th, 2008

It makes you wonder what is going on behind the scenes that regulators who should be on the side of the comsumer alway play it safe for the manufacturer and not the person using it. Even though Canada declared BPA a dangerous substance they went no further with banning the chemical for usage in food or baby products... a declaration with no teeth if you ask me.

Terri Potratz

at 12:16 on September 16th, 2008

Good call Paublo - at least consumers are increasingly taking responsibility for the products they purchase.

In the case of the hard plastic water bottles, for example, it's a major "faux pas" now and people are buying those aluminum water bottles instead. Same deal with baby bottles - I know quite a few new mothers and they all use glass bottles instead of plastic.

Government intervention is necessary and Health Canada did kind of cop out by not following through with an outright ban, but at least people are responding to this new information by boycotting potentially harmful products.

selfish crab

at 13:24 on September 16th, 2008

selfish crab has contributed a photo to this story.

Jarrett Martineau

at 14:06 on September 16th, 2008

Now I'm wondering what negative health consequences will be derived from Sigg products -- the latest designer bottle to flood the market. So far, I can't taste any chemicals...that means I'm safe, right? ;)

sunset_beach

at 14:47 on September 16th, 2008

This is just one of my many photographs I have taken. It just so happened that this one turned out really good.

sunset_beach has contributed a photo to this story.

Terri Potratz

at 15:24 on September 16th, 2008

Sigg - with interchangeable caps! Designer, indeed...

Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 18:50 on September 16th, 2008

Terri Potratz, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Sarah Conway

at 19:32 on September 16th, 2008

almost hate to say it...but still drinking out of mine. have a couple of the new bpa free camelbaks, but not a fan of the suck/straw tops and not having a lot of luck finding regular tops. wish nalgene would come out with a bpa free jug...same size...same top...cool colors...

Sarah Conway has contributed a photo to this story.

Blast House

at 21:29 on September 16th, 2008

It was really hot that day, and I had just bought this new Nalgene narrow-mouth 16oz water bottle. I filled it with water and icecubes after washing it a couple times, and was heading out for a walk, when the lighting on it attracted my attention, aswell as the dew and condensation that had built up during the minutes it stood out on the kitchen counter.

Blast House has contributed a photo to this story.

(comment was to photo, not story. blame the NowPublic php system)

cl0ne666

at 14:54 on September 18th, 2008

Took the picture of the Nalgene, honored to be part of this and contribute to the cause

cl0ne666 has contributed a photo to this story.

lovely reta...

at 09:43 on September 19th, 2008

Thanks for having my picture on this feed. I still use my Nalgenes, only the 2 newest ones though - they are the 32 oz size and are BPA free. I got them at REI...

HellaD

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 21:04 on October 11th, 2008

Great post and interesting comments...water filters can also be very expensive...but I definitely think that is important. I keep hearing reports that various US cities municipal water supplies are not as clean as believed to be. The state of the pipes is a whole other can of worms.

John Perez (not verified)

at 04:56 on July 5th, 2009

It's important that the FDA take responsibility when something drastic might happened. It's not as if they could just act as if nothing happened and let the whole situation just
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