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Bisphenol A

By: Cristina Angueta

Through the years BPA (Bisphenol A) has been a concern. In the past reports and news articles floaded our lives on PBA being safe. That the jury was out on whether or not we should do something about it. The US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory authorities worldwide even recognized the use of polycarbonate plastic for food contact applications as safe. However last week, the U.S. government's National Toxicology Program said that there is “some concern” about BPA from experiments on rats that linked the chemical to changes in behavior and the brain, early puberty and possibly precancerous changes in the prostate and breast.

What is BPA exactly? it's an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products. Polycarbonate plastic is a lightweight, high-performance plastic that has the unique balance of strength, optical clarity and high heat/electrical resistance. Because of these qualities polycarbonate is used in everyday products. Epoxy resins are used as protective liners in metal cans to preserve the quality of canned foods and beverages.

Billions of pounds of BPA is used every year to make resins that line food cans and the polycarbonate plastics used to make baby bottles and many other products. The CDC says that 95% of us carry measurable amounts of BPA in our blood. There's no argument that at some level of exposure, BPA is toxic. Whether these amounts are dangerous isn't known for sure. These studies aren't as cut and dry as we would like them to be. BPA acts like a hormone. This means that low doses may have effects not seen at higher doses. Traditional studies usually try to find a high-dose effect then lower the dose until that effect goes away. Currently the “safe” level of BPA is set at 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. But animal studies suggest that this level of BPA has harmful effects, including genetic damage.
BPA was originally developed as a chemical estrogen. These researchers worry that BPA is behind hormone-linked trends in human health such as increased abnormal penis development in males, earlier sexual development in females, increases in neurodevelopmental diseases such as ADHD and autism, increased child obesity, decreased sperm count, and more breast and prostate cancers.

The U.S. government's National Toxicology Program recently issued a report saying they are “confident” that BPA is everywhere. It's in our water, the air and in the ground. BPA has different effects at different stages of life. BPA “reprograms” genes — meaning that toxic effects may pop up long after exposure. The National Toxicology Program's expert panel says there's “some concern” that fetal exposure to BPA affects a baby's brain and causes later behavioral problems.

The outcome in a study by The Environmental Working Group reported that cans of chicken soup, infant formula and ravioli had the highest BPA levels. 1 in 3 cans of infant formula had BPA levels “200 times the government's traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals.”
Well, while we still can't say for sure stores like Toys R Us and others have begun pulling baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers and the likes from their shelves and instead replacing them with PBA free alternatives. I tend to side on the air of caution. When it comes to our children are we really willing to use them as guinea pigs to see if this “controversy” is just that?

If you have plastic baby bottles and sippy cups that are old, scratched or have a cloudy, cracked appearance they should be thrown out. Consider using powdered formula, rather than canned formula. Avoid number 7 plastics, instead choose number 1, 2, and number 4 plastics.
Use glass baby bottles, or those made with polypropylene and polyethylene. Pliable, milk-colored plastic does not contain BPA. Medela-brand bottles used to store breast milk are BPA-free.
Avoid using plastic containers in the microwave. Avoid using old, scratched plastic bottles. Some plastic wraps contain BPA, although Saran and other brands “promise to be BPA free.” . Avoid polycarbonate plastic baby bottles, plastic water bottles, food cans (soups, beans) and beverage cans (soft drinks, soda).

There are seven different labels for plastics:

1 PETE: Commonly used in soft drink, juice and water containers.
2 HDPE: Commonly used in opaque plastic milk and water jugs.
3 PVC or V: Commonly used for cling wrap.
4 LDPE: Commonly used in grocery store bags and plastic wraps.
5 PP: Commonly used in “cloudy” plastic containers such as baby bottles.
6 PS: Commonly used in disposable cups and Styrofoam.
7 Other: Usually polycarbonate. Commonly used in most plastic baby bottles, clear plastic sippy cups and water bottles.

Article Source: http://www.purearticle.com

Hello, I am Cristina Angueta and I am a happily married mother of 2. I am always trying to find new and safe ways to keep my home clean. Please visit me at www.cleanhomehappyhome.com

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