Synthesized in the laboratory more than 100 years ago, bisphenol A did not enter widespread production until the 1950s, when it was discovered that as an additive to polycarbonate plastics, it makes them harder and more resilient.
Polycarbonate plastics are found in a wide variety of uses, and recognized by a label that shows the number 7 in a triangle. Bisphenol A is also found in the sealants of various packaging, including canned foods. Today, bisphenol A accounts for nearly $6 billion in sales annually.
What is the concern? Bisphenol A is one of a host of chemicals that are known to resemble natural hormones and interact with our endocrine system. Exposure to endocrine disrupters like bisphenol A produces developmental abnormalities and in some cases cancers. For humans, the exposure is generally in foods and beverages that have picked up low levels of bisphenol A from their packaging.
When fed soup from cans lined in bisphenol A, humans show 1000X higher levels of bisphenol A in their urine compared to control individuals. Children are often the most vulnerable, so several states have considered banning bisphenol A in baby bottles and other food packaging for infants.
As in so many cases, debate has raged between environmental groups and industry regarding the safety of bisphenol A. Within the EPA and the National Institutes of Health concern runs deep enough to have stimulated some new scientific evaluations of the additive. Meanwhile, food giant, General Mills, has announced that it will use a substitute for bisphenol A in the sealants used to can food.
Let’s hope that solid science can replace the rancorous debate that surrounds bisphenol A.
Photo, taken on February 29, 2012, courtesy of Joost J. Bakker via Flickr.