A past Earth Wise segment explored the health risks associated with bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical used in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Exposure has been linked variety of health concerns, among them obesity, reproductive cancers, asthma, and diabetes.
According to the National Institutes of Health, our main source of BPA exposure is through what we eat and how we eat it – with canned food, food storage containers, and polycarbonate dishes being among the worst offenders.
The U.S. Department of Health has expressed concerns over the safety of BPA. The Food and Drug Administration recently banned BPA in bottles, cups, and dishes geared toward children. And some foods cans are now lined with BPA alternatives.
But before we get too comfortable with ‘BPA-free’ labels on the marketplace, it looks like one of the main alternative chemicals – bisphenol S – is also associated with health problems.
In a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found that low levels of bisphenol S … on the order of what one would expect to be exposed to in canned food … cause estrogen disruption.
Cheryl Watson of the University of Texas, one of the study’s authors, warns: “We should question the whole process about how we introduce chemicals into the marketplace without properly testing them first.”
Replacing BPA with a bisphenol chemical with similar health risks is hardly a step in the right direction. For now, minimize canned food in your diet and opt for glass, ceramic, or stainless steel when purchasing dishes and storage containers.
Web Links
Bisphenol S Disrupts Estradiol-Induced Nongenomic Signaling in a Rat Pituitary Cell Line: Effects on Cell Functions
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2013/01/1205826/
BPA Ban in Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-07-17/html/2012-17366.htm
More Health Harms for Children Exposed to BPA
http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/09/more-health-harms-for-children-exposed-to-bpa/
BPA
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/sya-bpa/
Photo, taken on March 30, 2010, courtesy of F. Delventhal via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, with partial support from the Field Day Foundation.