The case against BPAs in plastics is emerging as our worst nightmare.
A recent article by David Case in Fast Company magazine follows the BPA trail to determine how harmful it really is to humans, where you find it, and what is being done about it. His findings are terrifying to anyone unaware of how much in our environment and daily life is toxic to us. Even those among us who consider ourselves “aware” may be shocked at the levels at which we are exposed and the overall inescapability of this hazardous chemical.
According to Case, BPA is everywhere. “Some 7 billion pounds of it were produced in 2007. It’s in adhesives, dental fillings, and the linings of food and drink cans. It’s a building block for polycarbonate, a near-shatterproof plastic used in cell phones, computers, eyeglasses, drinking bottles, medical devices, and CDs and DVDs. It’s also in infant-formula cans and many clear plastic baby bottles. Studies have shown that it can leach into food and drink, especially when containers are heated or damaged. More than 90% of Americans have some in their bodies.”
Check out this illustration from the article that shows the alarming levels of BPAs in a 6-month old baby fed canned formula in a plastic bottle. Notice that even breast-fed babies get BPAs through breast milk from their mother’s exposure.
Case concludes:
“The government is unlikely to start controlling the use of BPA. The United States has a long tradition of keeping harmful substances — lead, DDT, tobacco, PCBs — on the market for decades after scientists find adverse effects.
“The EPA could theoretically step in, but that’s unlikely too. The agency “has no real program to regulate industrial chemicals, as a result of deep flaws in the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act,” says Andy Igrejas, environmental-health campaign director for the Pew Charitable Trusts. Under the act, the EPA needs to show “substantial evidence” that a chemical is harmful, and must weigh the costs of restrictions against the economic benefits of keeping the chemical in commerce. That’s a byzantine chore and helps explain why the agency has managed to restrict only five chemicals in the law’s 33-year history. Under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, Congress ordered the agency to screen industrial chemicals to determine if they interfere with the endocrine system, a program that might have flagged BPA. Nine years after the 1999 deadline, the agency has yet to screen a single chemical.”
Are you scared yet?
→ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also may use affiliate links elsewhere in my site.
Hello there, outstanding website. Nice design. I recently got finished with cosmetic courses and would like to start up my web site. Thank you for the amazing write-up!
It really is actually a nice and valuable bit of information. Therefore i’m glad which you shared this valuable information along with us. Make sure you keep informed such as this. Many thanks sharing.
Properly We definitely loved researching that. This particular subject matter offered by a person is very ideal for precise organizing.
I was aware of this kind of formerly, nevertheless there were a few beneficial bits that accomplished the image if you ask me, many thanks!
I had been very happy to search for this kind of net-site.I needed to due to your time and energy with this wonderful read!! We without doubt taking pleasure in each and every small little bit of this and also I’ve you book marked to check out fresh items you article.
i love food and drinks that are very tasty. i do eat a lot and drink a lot of alcohol these days :-‘
food and drink is my thing. i always look for new recipes and juices-~”
i love to eat and drink exotic foods and delicacies from all over the world.`,:
[…] it’s a huge bummer to know that there are BPAs in my canned tomatoes ready to enter into the bodies of my family and accumulate, waiting to wreak havoc with hormones, cancers, and other horrific […]
[…] Bisphenol A (BPA) is the chemical resin used in the linings of metal cans and lids as well as plastic bottles and food containers and hundreds of other household products. Manufacturers like it because it adds strength to plastics and shelf-life to canned foods. Aware consumers hate it because it leaches into the foods we eat and drink from these containers. […]
I have been following the BPA issue for years now and keep trying to bring attention to the issue. Grass route organization and outrage will be the only way to do something about it. ADD, Autism, MS, Breast and Prostate Cancer are all linked to this synthetic hormone which has been proven in the early 1990’s to cause neurological disorders and actually increase the growth rates of cancers. Go to http://www.itsallaboutthesuck.com/FoodIndustry.html for more info on this critical issue. Filter your water into glass containers and boycott canned foods and any food packaged in plastic. Buy food grade stainless bottles for drinking water. Raise awareness at breast cancer, MS and Autism walks (where everyone is drinking from BPA laden water bottles. This problem makes Phillip Morris’s denial of cigarettes causing lung cancer look like child’s play. Millions are getting long term illnesses which are in turn being profited from. They are making the money poisoning us and then making the money keeping us alive after being poisoned. Spread the word!