The Olympian - Olympia, Washington "BPA has become somewhat ubiquitous since its development in the 1960s. It’s used in can linings to maintain a tight seal to keep food protected from bacteria. It’s used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins found in everything from compact discs to eyeglass lenses.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, some 2.4 billion pounds of BPA was produced in 2007.
Food processors fear that canned goods may be targeted next.
The best thing they could do is step up efforts to find safer alternatives to BPA in the cans they package their foods."
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Science, not politics or economics, must drive BPA debate - San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News: "Those of us who are not scientists are left to wonder with understandable concern and fear that is driven more by the politics than the data.
How can a judicious conclusion be reached about BPA that is void of political influence and fear? Politics and fear are the twin demons that obfuscate reality.
How many studies and hearings need to be conducted before a conclusion is reached? Assuming momentarily that a conclusion is reached that adds BPA to the Prop. 65 list, BPA proponents would ask: 'What then?'
Does California become the first step in a slippery slope that bans BPA nationwide? Would this mean cans that lasted months and, in some cases, years would have a shelf life going forward of only days?
If there is no cost-effective replacement, what would be the economic impact on society's most vulnerable. And how would one juxtapose the economic concerns for a low-income population with the potential health implications?
These are questions that must be addressed, but can only be done if science leads the way. The science, and not the political and economic interests of outside organizations, must decide an issue critical to the well being of all Californians."
How can a judicious conclusion be reached about BPA that is void of political influence and fear? Politics and fear are the twin demons that obfuscate reality.
How many studies and hearings need to be conducted before a conclusion is reached? Assuming momentarily that a conclusion is reached that adds BPA to the Prop. 65 list, BPA proponents would ask: 'What then?'
Does California become the first step in a slippery slope that bans BPA nationwide? Would this mean cans that lasted months and, in some cases, years would have a shelf life going forward of only days?
If there is no cost-effective replacement, what would be the economic impact on society's most vulnerable. And how would one juxtapose the economic concerns for a low-income population with the potential health implications?
These are questions that must be addressed, but can only be done if science leads the way. The science, and not the political and economic interests of outside organizations, must decide an issue critical to the well being of all Californians."
Baby Bottles, Canned Food Full of Dangerous Chemical, Senator Warns
International Business Times: "Everyday consumer products from canned food containers to baby bottles are full of a chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA) that can lead to numerous health defects, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in an op-ed column.
Feinstein notes that many other countries, including China and most of the European Union, have banned the chemical after recognizing that is has been linked to diseases ranging from breast cancer to heart disease. But in the U.S. it remains a crucial component of consumer products, from food containers to cigarette packs to plastic baby bottles"
Feinstein notes that many other countries, including China and most of the European Union, have banned the chemical after recognizing that is has been linked to diseases ranging from breast cancer to heart disease. But in the U.S. it remains a crucial component of consumer products, from food containers to cigarette packs to plastic baby bottles"
Time to ban the can?
The Dish - The Lakeland Ledger: "As someone highly dependent on my crock pot, I was distressed to learn about the presence of the industrial chemical BPA in the linings of most food cans. My standard practice used to involve dumping several varieties of canned beans, along with diced tomatoes and kernel corn, into the crock pot to make vegetarian chili. I’ve decided to make the switch to bagged ingredients as much as possible — bagged beans and frozen corn. As for tomatoes, I suppose I can buy fresh ones at a produce stand and crush them. It amounts to more work, but until scientists clear up the safety concerns about BPA it seems worth the effort.
Here’s a link to a brief look at BPA from Sunday’s paper.
Here’s a link to a brief look at BPA from Sunday’s paper.
Your Thyroid Gland And The Chemicals In Your Home
EmpowHER.com: "BPA is used in some plastic bottles and canned-food linings. Drink the liquid from the bottles, eat the food from the cans, and you are very likely also ingesting some BPA.
Researchers saw that the more exposure to these chemicals, the lower the level of thyroid hormones. This research was reported on July 14, 2011, in an article on MedlinePlus, as well as in a July 11, 2011, Eurekalert! public release."
Researchers saw that the more exposure to these chemicals, the lower the level of thyroid hormones. This research was reported on July 14, 2011, in an article on MedlinePlus, as well as in a July 11, 2011, Eurekalert! public release."
Monday, August 1, 2011
US scientists conclude BPA is safely excreted by the human body
Chemical Watch: "US scientists monitoring humans exposed to very high levels of bisphenol A (BPA) have concluded that transfer of the active chemical into the blood stream is minimal and significantly below the level documented to cause endocrine disrupting effects in rats in a study published in Toxicological Sciences.
The researchers, from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, collected blood and urine samples every hour from 20 humans who had been fed a canned food diet high in BPA.
The results showed that blood levels of the chemical were undetectable in most cases, and were on average 42 times lower than urine concentrations in the same person. This supports previous studies which have indicated that BPA is rapidly absorbed, detoxified, and eliminated from humans, and therefore concluded that the endocrine disrupting effects seen in animals are not relevant to the levels found in the human body.
Justin Teeguarden, lead author of the research, said 'we can now say for the adult human population exposed to even very high dietary levels, blood concentrations of the bioactive form of BPA throughout the day are below our ability to detect them, and orders of magnitude lower than those causing effects in rodents exposed to BPA.'"
The researchers, from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, collected blood and urine samples every hour from 20 humans who had been fed a canned food diet high in BPA.
The results showed that blood levels of the chemical were undetectable in most cases, and were on average 42 times lower than urine concentrations in the same person. This supports previous studies which have indicated that BPA is rapidly absorbed, detoxified, and eliminated from humans, and therefore concluded that the endocrine disrupting effects seen in animals are not relevant to the levels found in the human body.
Justin Teeguarden, lead author of the research, said 'we can now say for the adult human population exposed to even very high dietary levels, blood concentrations of the bioactive form of BPA throughout the day are below our ability to detect them, and orders of magnitude lower than those causing effects in rodents exposed to BPA.'"
US EPA consults on BPA environmental assessment
Chemical Watch: "The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has requested public comment on possible toxicity testing and environmental sampling to study the potential environmental impacts of bisphenol A (BPA), with comments due by 26 November. In particular the EPA is seeking comments on: Whether it should propose specific toxicity testing to more fully characterise the effects of BPA on environmental organisms at low concentrations; Whether it should.."
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