News Stories Archive | Page 5 of 11 | Facts About BPA

It’s widely understood that a key reason why life developed on Earth is because of water.  A common definition of a habitable environment is one in which plenty of liquid water is available to sustain life.  In short, we can’t live without water.

But there’s more to it than just the presence of water.  We want our water to be clean and healthy so as to avoid risks to people and the environment from unwanted contaminants.  With that goal in mind, numerous environmental monitoring studies have been conducted that look for various contaminants in water, and generally find some at trace levels.

Thanks to years of attention to bisphenol A (BPA), used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, there is now quite a bit of attention to various alternatives described generically as “BPA-Free“. Many manufacturers proudly apply a BPA-Free label to their products, even to products that never contained BPA in the first place.

The headline almost jumps out at you – “BPA Substitute Could Cause Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.” That alarming headline appears in an industry publication, but the same story was widely reported in the popular media, which tends to cover science only when they can create scare stories.

Like most people, you probably like seafood. Not only does it taste good but seafood provides healthy amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.  The latter is particularly important since consumption of these fatty acids is linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s why international health agencies recommend 1-2 servings of fish each week. What’s not to like?

It’s not hard these days to find stories in the popular media about the presence of various chemical contaminants in our environment.  Included in this genre are stories about trace levels of chemicals in common consumer products, in the air we breathe, and in the water we drink.  Almost inevitably the stories suggest that even minor exposures are harming our health. 

More than 10 years ago, bisphenol A (BPA) was a hot topic in Japan. But these days, not so much. The Japanese government ministries with responsibility for human health continue to monitor scientific developments on BPA in the rest of the world, but without any apparent pressure or need for regulatory action. Likewise, there’s little or no attention to BPA from Japanese consumers or in the media.

What could account for the difference between Japan and other countries where interest in BPA continues, sometimes with a very high level of intensity? Could it be that the Japanese government and people have listened to the science on BPA?

Those making the traditional green bean casserole over the holidays might see a label on their can of green beans or mushroom soup that reads, “BPA-free lining.” BPA, or bisphenol A, is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and resins, which are often used in containers that store food and beverages.

Specifically, most metal food and beverage cans have a thin interior coating that contains BPA. This coating protects the can from corrosion, and as a result, prevents contamination from dissolved metals or life-threatening bacteria. We can probably all agree that nobody is hoping for a side of botulism with their holiday meal.

If you worry about risks to your health from cellphones, genetically modified foods or any of the many threats that pop into the news, reading cancer epidemiologist Geoffrey C. Kabat’s new book may allay some of your fears by putting the headlines in perspective. But reassuring you is not Kabat’s sole mission.

If you live in Austria, should you be concerned about exposure to bisphenol A (BPA)?  Not according to the results of a new study from Austrian government researchers that was just published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

A recent study from French government researchers reported new results on the exposure of pregnant women to more than 100 substances that might be a concern for the health of a developing fetus.  The study examined exposure to various metals (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic) and many common organic compounds that we might encounter in our daily lives.