By Stefani Newman
Better living through science? The debate is raging over a chemical compound with a three-letter nickname – BPA. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a synthetic hormone primarily used to make hard polycarbonate plastic. Companies use BPA both as the durable plastic as well as an epoxy resin, for coating the inside of food and beverage cans. Until 2008 or so, you may not have heard about, or cared about, BPA. Nowadays, it’s one of the most hotly contested by-products on the market.
Studies are showing (done mainly on animals) that exposure to BPA, even in low doses, can be linked to a myriad of health issues. These include thyroid problems, various cancers, obesity, diabetes, and in the case of babies (even in utero), stunted development and disabilities. Unfortunately, there are a lot of “maybes” used in BPA speak. BPA may (or may not) leach within products, which may (or may not) be dangerous to you and your baby in terms of promoting cancer, etc. Tara Parker-Pope has a great BPA-basics article, outlining everything you need to know about BPA in your home.
The most vocal group for change to remove BPA from products has been parents. If you’ve ever picked up a baby bottle, you know that they are made of hard, durable plastic. Baby bottles are virtually indestructible – they’re heated for sterilization, refrigerated, and can be safely dropped over and over again.
The struggle to rid children’s products of BPA goes WAY beyond bottles, however, and this is where it gets scary. Think about all the plastic based products out there, just geared towards children alone – lunch boxes and other lunch containers, sippy cups, pacifiers, toys, you name it. It’s terrifying to think about how vast this chemical compound has invaded our shelves and pantries (it’s also used as a canned food liner), and how difficult it is to tell what effect it may have on our bodies or our children’s bodies.
The children’s product market is taking a stand over BPA. Companies are taking the initiative to remove BPA from their products, and are proudly advertising this fact. Glass bottles are even making a comeback. Websites such as Z Recommends and Environmental Working Group thoroughly test products and rate them based on safety, to help consumers make informed buying decisions.
These efforts are still offering hazy and inconclusive findings as to how effective the removal of BPA really is. In 2009, Canada passed legislation banning all products containing BPA. However, recent studies of baby bottles and other “BPA-free” items still leach small amounts of BPA into and food or other substances when heated. The debate now is whether or not these “trace amounts” are hazardous.
As recently as August, the hugely popular aluminum bottle manufacturer, SIGG, recently admitted that the inside liner within their bottles produced before August of 2008 do, in fact, contain BPA. This was after a SIGG fiercely defended itself that it was BPA-free. The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit watchdog organization that tests everything from sunscreen to lipstick, and baby shampoo to bottles for hazardous chemicals, had tested SIGG bottles and found trace amounts of BPA. Many people have turned to unlined, aluminum containers, but consumer confidence regarding what is truly BPA-free has nosedived. We can only hope that companies continue to have consumers’ safety – and long-term confidence – in mind, to help solve these issues with BPA.
