Potential Cancer Risk?

For the last few months, we have been hearing of an issue that is generating a lot of concern. Certain types of plastic containers can leech a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA). The chemical can mimic the female hormone estrogen. This impacts adults as well as children. Study shows that it can cause all sorts of health problems ranging from infertility and obesity to several types of cancer.

There is no question that Americans are exposed to the chemical. A study by the CDC estimated that 92.6 percent of Americans age 6 and above had measurable BPA in their bodies.

The chemical industry has maintained for years that the high dose do not show any human effects and the FDA, which would regulate the chemicals, has said there is no danger. Many scientists have continued to look for possible danger in both animal and human studies.

The National Toxicology Program, a division of the National Institutes of Health issued an alarm. The agency said there was a possibility BPA could be causing brain problems in fetuses and children and prostate and breast problems in adults.

The actual quote from the draft report concluded “there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures. The NTP also has some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females.”

The designation of “some” concern is equivalent to 3 on a danger scale of 1 to 5. You can see the report itself here. A few members of Congress have issued calls for the FDA to ban the plastics. So far the FDA has not responded.

If you want to avoid bottles with BPA look on the bottom for very tiny numbers enclosed in arrows that look like this. The number 7 indicates BPA. The numbers 3 and 6 indicates the presence of similar chemicals that some scientists and environmentalists believe could be cause for concern.

Here are a very ways to limit the risk of BPA in plastic bottles:

• Look for “BPA-free” claims on toys, baby bottles and containers. A lot of companies are starting to roll out BPA free baby bottles, bottle liners, and re-usable containers.
• Avoid polycarbonate and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastics, both of which contain BPA. At the bottom of the plastic, there should be a recylcing code. Anything with code 7 is at risk. Alternatives include polyethylene plastic (also labeled PETE) and containers marked with recycling code 1, 2 (HDPE) and 4 (LDPE). Polypropylene (recycling code 5, or PP) are also safe.
• If you use hard polycarbonate plastics (Nalgene bottles, baby bottles, sippy cups), do not heat or use them for warm or hot liquids. This includes running in the dishwasher. Nalgene just recently did a recall around a lot of their bottles.
• Do not wash polycarbonate plastic containers in the dishwasher with harsh detergents.

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Filed Under: Health & Fitness