Staff Blog

Bon Voyage, Bisphenol A

The landscape of plastics endured a seismic shock last week--the National Toxicology Program (NTP) issued a draft report noting that bisphenol A (BPA), the major compound in polycarbonate plastic used in water bottles, baby bottles and as a liner in many canned foods may possibly affect human development or reproduction. This finding resulted from animal studies, which "show that exposure to high-dose levels of bisphenol A during pregnancy and/or lactation can reduce survival, birth weight and growth of offspring early in life, and delay the onset of puberty in males and females."

While the dose levels tested on animals are higher than those found in people, much lower doses in animal studies also showed limited evidence for adverse health effects, including precancerous lesions, developmental and behavior changes and early onset of puberty in female rodents. The NTP report concludes that "the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed."

North of the border, the Canadian government has provided a more definitive response. Late last week, the ministers of health and environment issued a statement that having completed a risk asssessment of BPA, Canada would take immediate action to ensure that "families, Canadians and our environment are not exposed to a potentially harmful chemical." The Canadian government is now determining whether it will ban the importation, sale and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles, which are made of BPA.

For its part, the industry response has been meaningful: Both Nalgene, which produces the most popular reusable plastic water bottle in the U.S., and Playtex, which makes baby products, have announced they will stop using BPA. Wal-Mart has said it is putting an immediate halt to Canadian sales of polycarbonate baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, food containers and water bottles. Toys "R" Us will stop selling PC baby bottles in Canada and the US early next year. In the U.S., Wal-Mart will stop selling PC baby bottles early next year.

Until polycarbonate-free bottles are common on store shelves, here are resources to help you track down better products:

Baby Bottles Buying Guide

"The Bisphenol-A Debate: A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans"

And for more on BPA see:

The Adventure Life with Steve Casimiro

Greenerpenny.com

© The Green Guide, 2008

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