bisphenol A (BPA)

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Word je hormoonsysteem gehackt door water- en frisdankflessen?

Niet-gereguleerde inerte ingrediënten in plastic flessen verstoren de functies van het menselijke endocriene systeem, de klieren die hormonen produceren die vrijwel elke lichaamsfunctie regelen. Dit is een verhaal over de hebzucht van bedrijven, de laksheid van federale toezichthouders en een nieuwe bedreiging voor de volksgezondheid: hormoonontregelaars. Wat zijn die hormoonontregelaars? Wat hebben die met ons en ons dagelijks leven te maken? Schuilt er gevaar in zoiets banaals als plastic flessen?

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Blootstelling aan vervanger van BPA veroorzaakt hyperactiviteit en hersenveranderingen bij vissen

Een chemische stof die in veel "BPA vrije" consumentenproducten gevonden wordt, bekend als bisphenol S (BPS), is net zo effectief als bisphenol A (BPA) in het veranderen van hersenontwikkeling en veroorzaken van hyperactief gedrag, volgens een onderzoek op dieren. BPA wordt in verband gebracht met een uiteenlopende reeks hormoonafwijkingen, zoals obesitas, kanker, en, recentelijk, hyperactiviteit bij kinderen, wiens moeder werd blootgesteld aan een hoge hoeveelheid van deze substantie gedurende het tweede kwartaal van de zwangerschap. Tijdens dit onderzoek bij vissen is nu ontdekt dat blootstelling aan BPS, een mengsel van bisphenol, leidde tot hyperactieve nakomelingen, hetzelfde als bij BPA.

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BPA blootstelling kan de ontwikkeling organen ernstig beïnvloeden

Bisphenol A (BPA) is een chemische stof die wordt gebruikt bij een breed scala van consumentenproducten, zoals harsen voor voedsel in blik en blikjes drank, thermisch papier van ontvangstbewijzen en tandheelkundige composieten. BPA vertoont hormoon-achtige eigenschappen, en blootstelling aan BPA kan bij foetussen, zuigelingen, kinderen en volwassenen tot talrijke afwijkingen waaronder kanker, immuun-, hersen-,gedrags problemen bij knaagdieren veroorzaken.

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BPA slecht voor het gebit van kinderen

Bisphenol A is één van de meest geproduceerde chemicaliën ter wereld met een jaarlijkse productie van meer dan 2,2 miljoen ton in 2009

Het is bekend dat bisfenol A in verpakkingen kan migreren naar voedingsmiddelen en zo door de mens opgenomen worden. Bisfenol A kan ook vrijkomen wanneer de esterverbindingen in de polymeren (lees kunststoffen) gehydrolyseerd worden, dit kan gebeuren onder invloed van warmte (bijvoorbeeld bij steriliseren van babyflesjes of het opwarmen van kant en klaar maaltijden in een magnetron) of door contact met basische voedingsmiddelen of reinigingsmiddelen en contaminatie uit de binnenkantcoating van blikjes in blikvoeding.

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BPA in plastic (waterflessen) kan invloed hebben op de ontwikkeling van de hersenen door het verstoren van de genregulatie

DURHAM, NC - Volgens een studie geleid door onderzoekers van Duke Medicine kan milieublootstelling aan bisfenol A (BPA), een wijdverspreid chemisch element in kunststoffen en harsen een gen onderdrukken dat van vitaal belang is voor de zenuwcellenfunctie en voor de ontwikkeling van het centrale zenuwstelsel. De onderzoekers publiceren hun bevindingen, die werden waargenomen in corticale neuronen van muizen, ratten en mensen, in het tijdschrift Proceedings van de National Academy of Sciences van 25 februari 2013. "Onze studie wees uit dat BPA de ontwikkeling van het centrale zenuwstelsel kan aantasten en roept de vraag op of blootstelling, dieren en mensen ook vatbaar kan maken voor neurologische aandoeningen," aldus hoofdauteur Wolfgang Liedtke, MD, PhD, universitair hoofddocent van de geneeskunde/neurologie en neurobiologie aan Duke Medicine.

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BPA heeft mogelijk negatieve gevolgen voor hart en nieren

Blootstelling aan een chemische stof die op grote schaal gebruikt werd in plastic flessen en nog steeds gevonden wordt in aluminium blikjes lijkt in verband te kunnen worden gebracht met een hoger risico op hart- en nierziekten bij kinderen en adolescenten, volgens een analyse van de nationale enquêtegegevens door NYU School of Medicine, gepubliceerd op 9 januari 2013 in de online editie van Kidney International, een Nature publicatie. Laboratorium studies suggereren dat zelfs een laag niveau van bisfenol A (BPA), zoals die in het nationaal onderzoek onder kinderen en adolescenten werd gevonden, oxidatieve stress en ontsteking verhoogt die op hun beurt weer eiwit lekkage bevorderen in de urine, wat een aanwijzing is voor vroege nierinsufficiëntie en een toekomstig risico op het ontwikkelen van hart- en vaatziekten is, volgens Leonardo Trasande, universitair hoofddocent kindergeneeskunde, medische milieukunde en gezondheid en mede auteur van de studie.

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Er is aangetoond dat BPA (in plastic) de schildklierfunctie verstoort bij drachtige dieren en hun nakomelingen

In utero blootstelling aan bisfenol A (BPA) kan worden geassocieerd met een verminderde schildklierfunctie bij pasgeboren schapen, volgens een recente studie aanvaard voor publicatie in Endocrinology, een tijdschrift van The Endocrine Society. Hypothyreoïdie wordt gekenmerkt door slechte mentale en fysieke prestaties bij volwassenen en bij kinderen kan het leiden tot cognitieve stoornissen en tot niet normael groei. Van BPA, een belangrijke molecule in de kunststofindustrie is nu aangetoond dat het een hormoonontregelaar is die schadelijke effecten kan uitoefenen op de menselijke gezondheid. De meeste onderzoeken zijn gericht op voortplantingsfuncties, maar er zijn aanwijzingen dat BPA ook negatieve effecten kan hebben op andere endocriene systemen waaronder de schildklierfunctie.

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BPA wordt gekoppeld aan veranderingen van het schildklierhormoon bij zwangere vrouwen en pasgeboren kinderen

Berkeley - Bisphenol A (BPA) een oestrogeen-achtige verbinding waar de afgelopen jaren meer nauwkeurige onderzoeken naar zijn geweest is gekoppeld aan veranderingen van het niveau van het schildklierhormoon bij zwangere vrouwen en pasgeboren jongens, dit volgens een nieuwe studie gedaan door onderzoekers van de Universiteit van Californië, Berkeley. Een normale schildklierfunctie is essentieel voor een gezonde groei en cognitieve ontwikkeling van foetussen en kinderen. Maar voor deze studie, die donderdag 4 oktober in het tijdschrift Environmental Health Perspectives is gepubliceerd, was er weinig bekend over welke effecten blootstelling aan BPA heeft op de schildklierhormonen bij zwangere vrouwen en pasgeborenen.

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Onderzoekers zien BPA effecten in de borstklieren
van een aap

Een nieuwe studie laat zien dat foetale blootstelling aan de plastic additieven Bisfenol A, of BPA, melkklier ontwikkeling bij primaten verandert.Dit onderzoek bewijst nog eens extra dat de chemische stof gezondheidsproblemen veroorzaakt in de mens en ondersteunt de bezorgdheid over het bijdragen aan borstkanker.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) link met metabolisch syndroom in menselijk weefsel?

Nieuw research van de Universiteit van Cincinnati impliceert de belangrijkste chemische stof die gebruikt wordt voor het maken van harde plastics -bisphenol-A- als een risicof actor vooor metabolisch syndroom en de gevolgen ervan. In een lab studie,met gebruik van vers menselijk weefsel, ontdekte het UC team dat BPA een sleutel hormoon wat veran twoordelijk is voor het regelen van insuline gevoeligheid - adiponectin- onderdrukt en daardoor mensen blootstelt aan grote gevaar voor metabolisch syndroom.

Metabolisch syndroom is een combinatie van risico factoren, waaronder insulin resistentie en hogere niveaus bloedsuiker en lipiden. Volgens de Amerikaanse Hart Stichting, hebben ongeveer 25% van de Amerikanen metabolisch syndroom. Onbehandeld kan het syndroom leiden tot kevens gevaarlijke gezondheids problemen zo als hart en vaat ziekte, beroertes en diabetes type 2. Nira Ben-Jonathan PhD, en haar team zijn de eersten die wetenschappelijk de gevolgen van BPA voor de gezondheid hebben aangetoond, met relevante doses gelijk aan de gemiddelde menselijke blootstelling.

Voorgaande studies hebben vooral gefocused op studies met dieren en hoge doses BPA. Ze hebben hun bevindingen gepubliceerd in de 14 augustus, 2008 online editie van het tijdschrift Environmental Health Perspectives. Deze wetenschappelijke gegevens komen uit net voor een belangrijke FDA vergadering over de veiligheid van de chemische stof in consumenten produkten, gepland voor 16 september. “Mensen zijn zeer bezorgd over de potentieele gevolgen voor de gezondheid. Terwijl de wetenschappelijke argumenten zich beginnen op te stapelen, wordt het zaak serieus te worden toekomstige schade te beperken,” zegt Ben-Jonathan professor kanker en cel biologie aan de universiteit, die BPA al meer dan 10 jaar bestudeerd heeft.

Vertaling James Pott

Blootstelling aan bisfenol-A (BPA) tijdens de perinatale (tijd omstreeks de geboorte) tijd kan van invloed zijn op de vruchtbaarheid van de foetus.

Volgens een studie, online gepubliceerde in afwachting van de geprinte versie van 2 december in het Environmental Health Perspectives, tast een blootstelling aan een alomtegenwoordig chemisch milieu, tijdens de zwangerschap, de voortplantingscapaciteit aan van vrouwelijke nakomelingen. Vrouwelijk muizen werden tijdens de foetale en neonatale (perinatale) fase blootgesteld aan bisfonel-A (BPA) en de
vruchtbaarheid nam af. De bisfenol-A dosis waar de muizen aan blootgesteld werden was lager of gelijk aan het menselijk blootstellingsniveau.

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Lia de Keizer

BPA, Plastics & Prostate Cancer

Blootstelling aan BPA (uit plastic) geassocieerd met afname kwaliteit sperma

Een stijging van BPA (Bisphenol-A) in urine is te koppelen aan een afname in spermaconcentratie, de hoeveelheid spermacellen, levendigheid en beweeglijkheid, aldus een onderzoek van Kaiser Permanente gepubliceerd in het tijdschrift voor Fertility and Sterility. Tijdens het vijf jaar durende onderzoek werden 514 fabriekswerkers in China gevolgd, waarbij mensen met een hoog BPA-niveau in de urine werden vergeleken met mensen die een laag BPA-niveau hadden. Mannen met hogere niveaus blijken twee tot vier keer meer risico te lopen op een slechte kwaliteit sperma dan mannen met lagere niveaus. Dit is het eerste onderzoek onder mensen dat een dergelijke link legt tussen BPA en spermakwaliteit. Onderzoek onder dieren wees eerder ook al uit dat er een negatieve relatie bestond tussen BPA en mannelijke voortplantingsorganen in muizen en ratten.

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Annelies

Alert : Bishpenol A in kassabonnen

Gevaar voor de caissières. De Bisphenol A (BPA), een chemisch product aanwezig in plastic verpakkingen en babyflessen kan via de huid het lichaam binnendringen en zodoende het hormonale systeem van de mens verstoren. Het product is tevens aanwezig in kassabonnen, bankbewijzen bij geldautomaten en overige winkels. Dit is afgelopen donderdag bevestigd door het - ‘l’Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)’ - in Toulouse. De studie is verschenen in het gespecialiseerde blad ‘Chemosphere’.

AFP.

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Ditta

Plastic kan sperma aantasten

Een chemische stof, gebruikt in zuigflessen, cd-doosjes, plastic bestek en andere verpakkingen, kunnen mogelijk de spermakwaliteit aantasten. Amerikaanse vorsers koppelen de stof aan de mannelijke onvruchtbaarheid.

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BPA risico veel hoger dan eerst gedacht

Een recent gepubliceerd onderzoek laat zien dat het menselijk risico bij het controversiële chemische bisphenol A, of BPA veel groter is dan eerst gedacht en komt waarschijnlijk uit onbekende bronnen.

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Pieter Tau

Nieuwe bisfenol-opinie in september

Bisfenol A (bpa) werd altijd beschouwd als betrekkelijk veilig. De laatste maanden hebben Canada, Denemarken en Frankrijk echter maatregelen genomen om consumenten te beschermen tegen blootstelling.

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Maaike

Parlement verbied bisphenol A in baby flesjes

Vanaf 1 Januari 2011, zal de verkoop van baby flessen waarin bisphenol A is verwerkt, verboden worden.

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Anneke

BPA in drinkwaterflesjes gevaarlijk voor de gezondheid

Intro: Misschien klinkt de afkorting BPA bekend in de oren. Vooral de laatste maanden wordt er veel over deze chemische stof gesproken. In dit artikel leggen wij uit wat BPA (Bisphenol A) precies inhoudt, wat de gevolgen zijn en hoe je BPA zoveel mogelijk kunt vermijden.

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Annemarieke (Healthylives).

BPA en Genisteine zijn samen van invloed op het zenuwstelsel in rattenembryo's

Een mengsel van twee veel voorkomende bestanddelen van ons voedsel bisphenol A en de phystoestrogeen genisteine veroorzaken ergere ontwikkelingsproblemen in rattenembryo's dan zou worden verwacht als de bestanddelen alleen worden toegebracht.

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Ingeborg Boucheloukh

Vermont verbied kunststof flessen met 'BPA'

Het komende verbod van Vermont's babyflessen en sport flessen welke de chemische stof Bisphenol A (beter bekend als BPA) bevatten - is in de afgelopen jaren alleen geëvenaard door een wet in de staat Connecticut.

Eric van Staalduinen

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Denemarken verbant BPA in verpakkingen voor kinderen

Denemarken heeft afgekondigd bisphenol A (BPA) tijdelijk in de ban te doen wat betreft het gebruik in verpakkingen voor voedsel voor kinderen in de leeftijd 0-3, na een verdenking die wees in de richting dat de chemische stof bij ratten de mogelijkheid tot leren kan beperken.

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Ineke Egberts

BPA linked to heart health risks

BPA in plastic kan hartziekte geven

Een stof (BPA) die in plastic voedselverpakkingen zit kan leiden tot hartziekte, zo blijkt uit wetenschappelijk onderzoek.

Link

Bisphenol A (BPA) contaminating our food and giving us cancer

Baby's krijgen het meeste bisphenol A binnen

Dit onderzoek toont dat babies en kleine kinderen het meeste BPA binnen krijgen. Baby's die gevoed worden met PC flessen zijn het ergst getroffen, gemiddeld krijgen ze met de fles 0.8 microgram BPA binnen per kilogram lichaamsgewicht.

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Cindy Oppers

Geslachtsveranderende chemicaliën stellen meer mensen bloot aan risico’s

Steeds meer mensen worden blootgesteld aan “geslachtsveranderende chemicaliën”, die in grote getale worden gevonden in drinkbekers, plastic flesjes en CD-hoesjes, heeft een nieuw onderzoek aangetoond.

Onderzoekers beweren zo’n soort synthetische stof in aantoonbare hoeveelheden in een aantal zwangere vrouwen, tieners en kinderen te hebben gevonden. De stof, Bisphenol A wordt in verband gebracht met borstkanker, afwijkingen bij de geboorte en onvruchtbaarheid.

De studie heeft meer dan 80 onderzoeken geanalyseerd, die concentraties van BPA – welke het vrouwelijke gelachtshormoon oestrogeen nabootst – in lichaamsvloeistoffen hebben gemeten. Na duizenden mensen in Europa, China, Korea, Japan en Amerika te hebben onderzocht, toonden de onderzoeken dat sporen van de stof regelmatig werden gevonden in bloed, moedermelk en urine, zo vermeldde de “Daily Mail”.

“Deze studies troffen BPA in overweldigende mate aan in mensen, waaronder volwassenen, adolescenten en kinderen,” legde Dr. Laura Vandenberg van Tufts University in de Engelse krant. Eén onderzoek naar BPA vond sporen in 591 van 599 Duitse kinderen. Een ander onderzoek onder 300 zwangere vrouwen vond BPA in het bloed van 84% van de vrouwen en 40% van de foetussen.

Hoewel de hoeveelheden klein zijn, wijzen de onderzoekers op bewijzen verkregen uit dierproeven dat BPA effect kan hebben in concentraties onder de officieel veilige dosis. Elisabeth Salter-Green van de campagnevoerende groep CHEM Trust stelde dat “dit overweldigend bewijs is dat BPA nu gevonden is als een algemene schadelijke stof in mensen, waaronder zwangere vrouwen en kinderen. De uitkomsten zijn gepubliceerd in de laatste uitgave van het blad 'Environmental Health Perspectives'.

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Vertaald door: Xynthia Kavelaars

BPA triggert allergische astma

Een chemische stof (Bisphenol A) die vooral zit in babyflesjes en de binnenkant van drinkkartons kan volgens een nieuw onderzoek verantwoordelijk zijn voor allergische astma.

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Keimpe Wiersma

BPA beinvloedt de vruchtbaarheid van mannetjes ratten gedurende generaties

Nieuw onderzoek toont aan, dat blootstelling aan "bisphenol A" gedurende de zwangerschap en borstvoeding de mannelijke vruchtbaarheid verlaagt tijdens de volwassenheid en dat dit effect gedurende minstens drie generaties voortduurt. Uit het bestuderen van ratten bleek, dat betrekkelijk lage niveaus aan BPA al te hoog bleken, om mensen aan bloot te stellen.Deze studie is de eerste waaruit blijkt, dat BPA invloed zou kunnen hebben op de gezonde mannelijke voortplanting gedurende generaties. Uit talloze eerdere studies waarbij laboratorium dieren werden gebruikt is gebleken, dat blootstelling aan BPA gedurende de menselijke ontwikkeling de vrouwelijke vruchtbaarheid in gevaar kan brengen.

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Vertaling: Makozie

Want some toxic chemicals with those green beans?

A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found toxic bisphenol A leaching into food from nearly all canned goods, even those labeled as being "BPA-free" and "organic." The magazine tested items such as canned corn, chili, tomato sauce and corned beef, and found BPA levels varied widely, but some BPA was found in nearly all of them.

Bisphenol A BPA Contaminating Our Food

BPA is damaging our endocrine systems

Lobbyisten tabaksindustrie werken nu voor de plastic industrie

De chemische industrie gebruikt nu dezelfde taktieken en lobbyisten als destijds de sigaretten industrie om zo nieuwe wetgeving te vertragen/stoppen en miljarden te verdienen met een gevaarlijk produkt. Ook wil men opnieuw een zwangere vrouw gebruiken om het publiek te vertellen hoe veilig BPA is......

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Nog wat informatie mbt bisphenol A (BPA)

Low levels of BPA raise breast cancer risk in rat offspring
For the first time, scientists have shown that low levels of bisphenol A, even below levels considered safe by the EPA, increase breast cancer risk in rats exposed through their mother?s breast milk. A first of its kind study shows that low dose exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) during lactation increases the chance of breast cancer in rats. Early developmental exposures can have long lasting and adverse health effects. This is the first study to show that a mother rat’s exposure to BPA during lactation increases her daughter’s chances of breast tumors. Rats were used in this study because of the similarity in mammary (breast) gland development with that of humans. If this study could be extended to humans, it suggests that current safety standards fail to adequately protect the public. Current standards -- which are being reevaluated -- do not take into account recent findings that pertain to health effects from very low level exposures of BPA and related endocrine disruptors. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a widely-used compound found in polycarbonate plastics and resins that line food and drink containers. Plastic baby bottles, teething toys and cans that contain formula can have BPA.
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Hoeveelheid BPA is 11 keer hoger bij baby dan volwassene
Using a mathematical model based on enzymatic differences between newborns and adults, scientists estimate that the amount of bisphenol A (BPA) circulating in the blood of babies is more than 11 times higher than the amount in adult blood. The striking disparity is most likely due to natural differences in metabolism and body size between babies and adults. This study points to the need for chemical exposure standards to better incorporate differences in vulnerabilities between children and adults.
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De grote BPA leugen
Ook de Nederlandse overheid bagataliseert de problemen die ontstaan doordat de stof BPA lekt uit plastic verpakkingen (bijv babyflesjes, koffiebekers). Zelfs zeer recent nog werd ieder risico ontkend. De wetenschappelijke feiten zeggen echter iets heel anders en worden uit de Nederlandse media gehouden, geen journalist die verder research doet naar deze hormoonverstoorders. De harde cijfers liegen niet, 98 procent van alle studies met dieren tonen aan dat een lage dosis BPA al schade veroorzaakt. Bij de overige 2% spelen er twee belangrijke factoren een rol:

1) de proefdieren die gebruikt zijn, zijn dieren die ongevoelig zijn voor deze oestrogeen verstoringen
2) de studies die zeggen dat BPA veilig is zijn betaald door de industrie
Van de 218 studies zeggen er 189 dat er schade ontstaat door BPA in het lichaam. Voor een overzicht van deze studies zie deze word file: Link

Bisphenol A (BPA) causes sterilization, brain damage and cancer

Senator Pavley and supporters rally to ban BPA in childrens' products

Medical group calls for reducing use of BPA

Hormone-like chemicals in plastics, pesticides and other products pose "significant concern for public health," possibly causing infertility, cancer and malformations, a medical society announced Wednesday.

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Minnesota bans BPA; other states set to follow

Minnesota has become the first state to ban the toxic plastics chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups.

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Battle Over the Baby Bottle - Should Containers With Bisphenol A Be Banned?

The California Senate recently passed a bill to outlaw the sale of sippy cups and baby bottles that contain bisphenol A, or BPA, adding momentum to a campaign against the chemical that's gaining support in statehouses across the United States.

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Authors discover toxins in ‘off-the-shelf’ products increase quickly

After steering clear of food packaging containing bisphenol A for a couple of days, Rick Smith saw the levels of the hormone-disrupting chemical linked to breast and prostate cancer in his body increase 7.5 times after just two days of restricting his diet to canned foods heated in a microwave using a polycarbonate plastic container.

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Plastic bottles behind earlier puberty in girls?

Girls are beginning to grow breasts at an earlier age, and starting their periods sooner too, and scientists suspect chemicals in plastic bottles may be behind this trend.

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BPA Plastics Chemical Linked to Neurological Problems

In the first direct evidence that bisphenol A (BPA) can be harmful primates, the chemical was observed to produce neurological problems in monkeys, in a study conducted by researchers from Yale School of Medicine and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."Our findings suggest that exposure to low-dose BPA may have widespread effects on brain structure and function," the researchers wrote.

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Chemical industry tried to kill legislation

The chemical industry used "confusion and concealment" in its unsuccessful attempt to kill legislation banning the use of bisphenol-A in baby bottles and infant food jars, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal charged Monday. Misleading consumers, he said, is a violation of state law. Bridgeport Connecticut Post, Connecticut.

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BPA Levels in Adults up 70 Percent after Drinking from Plastic Bottles

Seventy-seven Harvard student volunteers experienced a nearly 70 percent increase in urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a plastics component and synthetic estrogen linked to cancer, reproductive system damage and other serious conditions, after drinking cold beverages from BPA-laden polycarbonate bottles for just one week, according to researchers from Harvard University.

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Study finds reproductive health effects from low doses of bisphenol-A

New research from North Carolina State University and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) shows significant reproductive health effects in rats that have been exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA) at levels equivalent to or below the dose that has been thought not to produce any adverse effects. BPA is a chemical found in baby bottles, water bottles, canned foods and an array of other consumer products. The potential health effects of BPA are currently the subjects of intense debate. The study found that female rats exposed to a BPA dose of 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight (µg /kg) in their first four days of life experienced early onset of puberty. Female rats exposed to 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) during their first four days of life developed significant ovarian malformations and premature loss of their estrus cycle. "The 50 mg/kg level is important," says lead researcher Dr. Heather Patisaul, "because it is equivalent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 'Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level' for BPA. So, by definition, we should not have seen significant effects at or below this level, but we did." Patisaul, an assistant professor of biology at NC State, explains that the 50 µg /kg level is also significant because it is EPA's listed reference dose for BPA – meaning it is the level of BPA that EPA says a person can be exposed to on a daily basis without expecting any adverse effects after a lifetime of exposure. Patisaul stresses that the research was done on rats, making it difficult to determine its applicability to humans, but notes that "this adds to a growing body of evidence that exposure to low doses of BPA during development can impact female reproductive health." The female rats in the study were exposed during the first four days of life because that is a sensitive developmental window for the rats, similar to a sensitive developmental stage that takes place for humans when they are still in the womb. While exposure to the lowest dose, 50 µg /kg, resulted in early onset of puberty in the rats, exposure to higher dose had more complicated results.

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Cloud Over BPA Grows As Top Hormone Researchers Warn Of Health Threat

The country’s top endocrine scientists have declared the toxic plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and other environmental pollutants shown to disrupt the endocrine system to be a “significant concern to public health.” At its annual meeting yesterday, The Endocrine Society, a professional scientific organization devoted to hormone research, warned that bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen, and ubiquitous plastics component, and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) “have effects on male and female reproduction, breast development and cancer, prostate cancer, neuroendocrinology, thyroid, metabolism and obesity, and cardiovascular endocrinology.”

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Plastics Industry Misleading Public On Safety Of BPA

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal asked the beverage and packaging industry Monday to back off a marketing campaign he claims is misleading the public about the potential ill effects of bisphenol A.

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Bisphenol A May Affect Brain, Behavior, Prostate in Children

A report today by the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program finding that bisphenol A may alter brain development and behavior and increase the risk of prostate cancer in children, infants and fetuses is in direct contradiction to last month's assessment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the chemical is safe at current levels of exposure.

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BPA, chemical used to make plastics, found to leach from polycarbonate drinking bottles into humans

A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles, the popular, hard-plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles, showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). Exposure to BPA, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and other plastics, has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans. The study is the first to show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increased the level of urinary BPA, and thus suggests that drinking containers made with BPA release the chemical into the liquid that people drink in sufficient amounts to increase the level of BPA excreted in human urine. In addition to polycarbonate bottles, which are refillable and a popular container among students, campers and others and are also used as baby bottles, BPA is also found in dentistry composites and sealants and in the lining of aluminum food and beverage cans. (In bottles, polycarbonate can be identified by the recycling number 7.) Numerous studies have shown that it acts as an endocrine-disruptor in animals, including early onset of sexual maturation, altered development and tissue organization of the mammary gland and decreased sperm production in offspring. It may be most harmful in the stages of early development. "We found that drinking cold liquids from polycarbonate bottles for just one week increased urinary BPA levels by more than two-thirds. If you heat those bottles, as is the case with baby bottles, we would expect the levels to be considerably higher. This would be of concern since infants may be particularly susceptible to BPA's endocrine-disrupting potential," said Karin B. Michels, associate professor of epidemiology at HSPH and Harvard Medical School and senior author of the study. The researchers, led by first author Jenny Carwile, a doctoral student in the department of epidemiology at HSPH, and Michels, recruited Harvard College students for the study in April 2008. The 77 participants began the study with a seven-day "washout" phase in which they drank all cold beverages from stainless steel bottles in order to minimize BPA exposure. Participants provided urine samples during the washout period. They were then given two polycarbonate bottles and asked to drink all cold beverages from the bottles during the next week; urine samples were also provided during that time.The results showed that the participants' urinary BPA concentrations increased 69% after drinking from the polycarbonate bottles. (The study authors noted that BPA concentrations in the college population were similar to those reported for the U.S. general population.) Previous studies had found that BPA could leach from polycarbonate bottles into their contents; this study is the first to show a corresponding increase in urinary BPA concentrations in humans.

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NIH reaffirms BPA concerns

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has again expressed 'some concern' about the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on the brain, behaviour, and prostate gland in foetuses, babies, and children at current exposure levels. The 3 September assessment comes only weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that BPA is safe at typical exposure levels from food and drink. The chemical mimics oestrogen, and is commonly found in baby bottles, children's cups and cans.

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Conn. lawmakers vote to ban BPA in food containers

Connecticut on Friday joined a growing number of state and local governments banning the sale of plastic baby bottles, food containers and cups containing Bisphenol-A.

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Expert urges FDA to take action to reduce BPA exposure

MU studies have shown dangerous health effects with BPA exposure since 1997. In the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers report a significant relationship between urine concentrations of the environmental estrogen bisphenol A (BPA) and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities. In an accompanying editorial, Frederick vom Saal, a University of Missouri scientist, urges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to follow recent action by Canadian regulatory agencies, which have taken significant steps to limit human and environmental exposures to BPA. Since 1997, research from vom Saal and other MU colleagues have shown adverse health effects of BPA at exposure levels below those currently considered safe by the FDA. "Despite growing research that confirms BPA is dangerous to our health, the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority have chosen to ignore warnings from expert panels and other government agencies and have continued to declare BPA as 'safe,'" wrote vom Saal, who is a Curator's professor of biological sciences in MU's College of Arts and Science. "Further evidence of harm should not be required for regulatory action to begin the process of reducing exposure to BPA." BPA is a one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals and is used to make hard plastic items such as: drinking glasses, baby bottles, food-storage containers, the lining of food and beverage containers, and dental sealants. Previous studies have shown adverse health effects of BPA on the brain and reproductive system, as well as metabolic diseases in laboratory animals. After a two-year review, the United States National Toxicology Program stated its concern that, at current levels of exposure, BPA posed a risk to human infants. The research published in JAMA is based on data from more than 1,450 Americans examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and is the first major study linking BPA to diseases in humans, vom Saal said. "The good news is that government action to reduce exposures may offer an effective intervention for improving health and reducing the burden of some of the most consequential human health problems," vom Saal said.

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Drinking from plastic bottles 'increases exposure to gender-bending chemical'

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that polycarbonate containers release the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) into liquid stored in them.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) California Ban Prompts FDA to Reinvestigate

BPA has come under fire politically in the recent years, and an outright ban of its use in certain products across the nation may potentially be imminent. The FDA has recently agreed to revisit the safety issues concerning BPA at the urging of Democratic lawmakers.

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Hormone-mimics in plastic water bottles - just the tip of the iceberg?

Plastic packaging is not without its downsides, and if you thought mineral water was ‘clean’, it may be time to think again. According to Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann from the Department of Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, plastic mineral water bottles contaminate drinking water with estrogenic chemicals. In an analysis1 of commercially available mineral waters, the researchers found evidence of estrogenic compounds leaching out of the plastic packaging into the water. What’s more, these chemicals are potent in vivo and result in an increased development of embryos in the New Zealand mud snail. These findings, which show for the first time that substances leaching out of plastic food packaging materials act as functional estrogens, are published in Springer’s journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

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Bisphenol A May Reduce the Efficacy of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Recently, it has been identified that common somatically derived genetic mutations that arise following the selective pressure of standard prostate cancer treatments may facilitate sensitivity to environmental contaminants. These somatic mutations within the androgen receptor allow the estrogen mimic, bisphenol A (BPA), to bind and activate the receptor, resulting in increased proliferation and tumor growth in the presence of the traditional therapy regimen for prostate cancer.

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Exposure to BPA among Premature Infants in NICUs

Premature infants in neonatal intesive care units (NICUs) may be exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bisphenol A (BPA), and other phenols in medical products, but data on potential exposures are limited. Calafat et al. (p. 639) measured urinary levels of BPA, triclosan, benzophenone-3, methyl paraben, and propyl paraben in 42 low-birth-weight infants from two NICUs in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. They found that the geometric mean urinary concentration (30.3 µg/L) of BPA among the study subjects was one order of magnitude higher than estimates for the general population, and that intensity of DEHP-containing product use was associated with total BPA concentration but not concentrations of any of the other phenols measured. Conjugated species were the primary urinary metabolites of BPA, suggesting that premature infants have some capacity to metabolize BPA. In addition, urinary BPA concentrations differed substantially between the two institutions. The authors conclude that further studies are needed to determine specific source(s) of exposure to BPA among premature infants in NICUs.

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Avoid bisphenol A when you can

Try to avoid eating or drinking foods out of these plastic containers, especially if they have been exposed to heat, in a hot car or placed in the microwave.

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Plastic chemical may stay in body longer

While the belief had been BPA was quickly and completely eliminated from the body through urine, this study found people who had fasted for even a whole day still had significant levels of the chemical.

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Truth in a bottle

To help prevent the leeching of this chemical from many plastic "seven"-containing objects, do not microwave plastic containers, do not use plastic containers to store heated liquids or foods, and do not wash these containers in hot liquids. Hot liquids and food items allow Bisphenol A to be released from plastic containers more readily.

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Why tap water is better

Bottled water is thousands of times more expensive than tap water, creates mountains of needless garbage and contributes to other environmental problems. So no matter which way you look at it, drinking tap water makes more sense for your health, the environment, and your pocket!

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Rochester Study Raises New Questions about Controversial Plastics Chemical

A University of Rochester Medical Center study challenges common assumptions about the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), by showing that in some people, surprisingly high levels remain in the body even after fasting for as long as 24 hours. The finding suggests that BPA exposure may come from non-food sources, or that BPA is not rapidly metabolized, or both. Controversy around BPA is mounting. In December the U.S. Food and Drug Administration agreed to reconsider the health risks of the chemical, which is used to make plastic baby bottles, water bottles and many other consumer products. Scientific studies suggest that BPA may harm the brain and prostate glands in developing fetuses and infants; adults with higher BPA levels in their urine were linked to higher risks for heart disease and diabetes, according to a study published last September in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The latest finding from Rochester is important because, until now, scientists believed that BPA was excreted quickly and that people were exposed to BPA primarily through food. Indeed, the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority have declared BPA safe based, in part, on those assumptions.

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How To Pass The BPA Test

Read the news about BPA and you'll see evidence cited that the compound is safe. But are these assertions just exploiting our limited scientific literacy? Here's how to decode the potential obfuscation.

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Prenatal Exposure to Bisphenol A at Environmentally Relevant Doses Adversely Affects the Murine Female Reproductive Tract

Ovarian cysts were significantly increased in the 1?µg/kg BPA group ; ovarian cystadenomas were seen in the other three BPA-treated groups but not in corn-oil controls. We observed increased progressive proliferative lesions of the oviduct after BPA treatment, similar to those described in response to DES. Further, although not statistically different from the controls, prominent mesonephric (Wolffian) remnants and squamous metaplasia of the uterus, as well as vaginal adenosis, were present in BPA-treated mice, similar to lesions reported following DES treatment. More severe pathologies observed in some BPA-treated animals included atypical hyperplasia and stromal polyps of the uterus ; sarcoma of the uterine cervix ; and mammary adenocarcinoma. We did not observe these lesions in controls.

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Oral Exposure to Bisphenol A Increases Dimethylbenzanthracene-Induced Mammary Cancer in Rats

The data presented here provide the first evidence that maternal exposure to BPA during lactation increases mammary carcinogenesis in a DMBA-induced model of rodent mammary cancer. Changes in PR-A, SRC 1–3, erbB3, and Akt activity are consistent with increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis playing a role in mammary cancer susceptibility. These alterations provide an explanation of enhanced mammary carcinogenesis after lactational BPA exposure.

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6 environmental research studies reveal critical health risks from plastic

Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and flame retardants (PBDEs) are strongly associated with adverse health effects on humans and laboratory animals. A special section in the October 2008 issue of Environmental Research, "A Plastic World" provides critical new research on environmental contaminants and adverse reproductive and behavioral effects. Plastic products contain "endocrine disrupting chemicals" that can block the production of the male sex hormone testosterone (phthalates used in PVC plastic), mimic the action of the sex hormone estrogen (bisphenol A or BPA used in polycarbonate plastic), and interfere with thyroid hormone (brominated flame retardants or PBDEs used in many types of plastic). Two articles report very similar changes in male reproductive organs in rats and humans related to fetal exposure to phthalates. Two articles show that fetal exposure to BPA or PBDEs disrupts normal development of the brain and behavior in rats and mice. Two other articles provide data that these chemicals are massively contaminating the oceans and causing harm to aquatic wildlife.The other studies integrate new laboratory research with a broader view reflecting exposures to a variety of chemicals in plastic. These ubiquitous chemicals found in many plastics act independently and together to adversely affect human, animal and environmental health. The articles show amongst others the massive contamination of the Pacific Ocean with plastic, and the amount of contamination has increased dramatically in recent years; animal brain structure, brain chemistry and behavioral effects from exposure to BPA and "phthalate syndrome" in rats' male offspring."For the first time a series of articles will appear together that identify that billions of kilograms of a number of chemicals used in the manufacture of different types of plastic can leach out of plastic products and cause harm to the brain and reproductive system when exposure occurs during fetal life or prior to weaning," emphasized Dr. Frederick vom Saal, Guest Editor of the "Plastic World". "Not only are these studies of scientific importance, they also contribute to the ongoing US congressional hearings involving the Food and Drug Administration," remarked Gert-Jan Geraeds, Publisher of Environmental Research, "As such, "The Plastic World" has a broader societal impact and raises awareness of increasingly important environmental issues".

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House panel wants new review of BPA safety

A congressional committee is investigating whether the FDA gave undue influence to chemical makers after several recent reports in the Journal Sentinel revealed how government regulators relied heavily on industry lobbyists when considering the safety of bisphenol A.

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Nongenomic Promoting Effect of Bisphenol A on Seminoma Cells

It has been suggested that fetal exposure to environmental estrogens may contribute to reduced fertility and testicular germ cell cancer, but many xenoestrogens, including bisphenol A (BPA), have only a weak affinity for the classic estrogen receptors. Bouskine et al. (p. 1053) studied effects of low concentrations of BPA on JKT-1 cell proliferation in vitro to explore the potential influence of environmentally relevant BPA exposures on male germ cell proliferation. BPA concentrations similar to those found in human fluids stimulated JKT-1 cell proliferaton, activated cAMP-dependent and cGMP-dependent protein kinase pathways, and triggered rapid phosphorylation of cAMP response-element–binding protein (CREB) and retinoblastoma protein (Rb). These nongenomic effects appeared to be mediated through a nonclassic membrane estrogen G-protein–coupled receptor (GPCR). The authors conclude that this GPCR-mediated nongenomic action represents a new basis for evaluating BPA and other xenoestrogens that may interfere with the developmental programming of fetal germ cell proliferation and/or differentiation at environmentally relevant doses.

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Concerns over bisphenol A continue to grow

New animal studies link the chemical bisphenol A, which leaches from such polycarbonate plastics and food can linings, with heart arrhythmias in females and permanent damage to a gene important for reproduction.

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BPA Blocks Effects of Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Drugs

Widespread human exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has resulted from its use in a diverse array of consumer products. Research on the potential health effects of BPA has focused on the chemical’s ability to mimic or block natural estrogen. In animal studies, prenatal exposure to BPA increased susceptibility to mammary cancer in adulthood. However, studies of adult animals and cell cultures have had mixed results, and even less certain is how BPA might influence established breast cancer and its treatment. A new cell culture study is the first to show that BPA, at concentrations comparable to those found in the general population, reduces the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in breast cancer cells, apparently by altering expression of proteins involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death

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Chemical Fallout - A Journal Sentinel Watchdog Report

Chemicals in the packaging, surfaces or contents of many products may cause long-term health effects, including cancers of the breast, brain and testicles; lowered sperm counts, early puberty and other reproductive system defects; diabetes; attention deficit disorder, asthma and autism. A decade ago, the government promised to test these chemicals. It still hasn't.

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Bisphenol A Reporting Team Is Finalist for Pulitzer price

Led by Meg Kissinger (left) and Susanne Rust, the newspaper has published a series of influential reports about the harmful and suspect chemicals to which Americans are routinely exposed, and the repeated failure of our government to fairly judge public health risks against the desires of the chemical industry.

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Coca-Cola and Del Monte Caught in Plot to Deceive Moms and Minorities Over Dangers of BPA

Environmental Working Group (EWG) called on its growing list of supporters to demand both Coca-Cola and Del Monte stop the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in the food and beverage containers of each company’s products. Lobbyists for each of the companies attended last weeks’ closed-door meeting where the food and chemical industries secretly colluded to plot a major public relations and lobbying campaign with the goal of defeating legislative initiatives at the state level to remove the toxic estrogen chemical from items designed for small children.

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FDA Panel Chairman on Bisphenol-A Secretly Received $5 Million Payment

As an FDA panel prepares to issue a ruling on whether the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) should be considered safe, press reports have revealed that the research center headed by the panel's chair recently received a massive donation from a vocal BPA supporter and former medical device manufacturer.

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What the Chemical Industry Doesn't Want You to Know about Everyday Products

Soon after scientists Frederick Vom Saal and Wade Welshons found the first hard evidence that miniscule amounts of BPA caused irreversible changes in the prostates of fetal mice, a scientist from Dow Chemical Company showed up at the Missouri lab. He disputed the data and declared, as Vom Saal recalls, "We want you to know how distressed we are by your research." "It was not a subtle threat," Vom Saal says. "It was really, really clear, and we ended up saying, threatening us is really not a good idea."

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A new window into hormone-altering chemicals

A new interactive database, including a timeline showing how human fetuses develop, displays scientific data about controversial chemicals in a graphic way. An electronic database going public on Tuesday has gathered the latest science on some of the most controversial chemicals in use today, offering a handy look into potential health effects when babies are exposed while developing in the womb.The interactive website, called “Critical Windows of Development,” has compiled an array of data from hundreds of scientists studying low doses of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

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Xenoestrogens Alter Dopamine Transport and Trafficking

Xenoestrogens (XEs), including nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), and some chlorinated pesticides, may disrupt estrogenic signaling. Previous research showed effects of 17??estradiol (E2) on dopamine transport in nerve growth factor–differentiated PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells that were mediated by membrane estrogen receptors (ERs). Alyea and Watson (p. 778) examined the influence of XEs on dopamine transport by measuring dopamine transporter (DAT) activity in response to low concentrations of NP, BPA, dieldrin, endosulfan, o´,p´?dichlorodiphenylethylene (DDE), and E2 based on the efflux of 3H?dopamine in PC12 cells. All compounds caused dopamine efflux, inhibited efflux, or both at 1 nM; all were active at some concentration <10 nM; and all showed nonmonotonic dose responses. The authors conclude that low levels of environmental estrogen contaminants may act as endocrine disruptors via membrane ERs; potential effects on neurotransmitter function could have important implications for Parkinson disease and other neurologic disorders, particularly among women.
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New Data Shed Light on Exposure, Potential Bioaccumulation

Bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used in a variety of consumer products, is ubiquitous in the modern environment, with residues found in the urine of an estimated 93% of Americans over 6 years of age, according to data from the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Recent research indicates that BPA acts as an endocrine disruptor and may increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems in adults. Until now, most exposure was thought to occur through diet, and the chemical was thought to clear the body quickly and completely. But a new study shows that urine BPA levels of subjects who had fasted for several hours were not as low as expected, suggesting either nondietary exposures or accumulation in fatty tissue, or both.

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More evidence that BPA leaches from plastic bottles and into people

A new study from Harvard University has found that urine levels of BPA are 69 percent higher after drinking cold liquids from polycarbonate plastic bottles. Heating has long been known to enhance the migration of BPA from polycarbonate containers but this is the first study to show that urinary levels of BPA are elevated after drinking cold liquids. The report is another in a growing list of studies showing that food and beverages stored in containers containing BPA can become contaminated. For this study 77 Harvard students drank cold liquids from polycarbonate bottles known to contain BPA for a week. BPA levels in urine samples collected at the beginning and end of this week were then compared. To minimize BPA exposure before the experiment started, students were given stainless steel bottles and asked to use those in place of plastic bottles for several days before the first urine samples were collected.

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Plastics chemical retards growth, function of adult reproductive cells

Bisphenol A, a chemical widely used in plastics and known to cause reproductive problems in the offspring of pregnant mice exposed to it, also has been found to retard the growth of follicles of adult mice and hinder their production of steroid hormones, researchers report. Their study is the first to show that chronic exposure to low doses of BPA can impair the growth and function of adult reproductive cells. The researchers will describe their findings this month at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction. A healthy, mature follicle, called an antral follicle, includes a single egg cell surrounded by layers of cells and fluid which support the egg and produce steroid hormones, said University of Illinois veterinary biosciences professor Jodi Flaws, who led the study with graduate student Jackye Peretz.These are the only follicles that are capable of ovulating and so if they don't grow properly they're not going to ovulate and there could be fertility issues," Flaws said. "These follicles also make sex steroid hormones, and so if they don't grow properly you're not going to get proper amounts of these hormones." Such hormones are essential for reproduction, she said, "but they're also required for healthy bones, a healthy heart and a healthy mood."BPA is widely used in plastics and is a common component of food containers and baby bottles. The chemical structure of BPA is similar to that of estradiol, a key steroid hormone, and it can bind to estrogen receptors on the surface of some cells. It is not known whether BPA blocks, or mimics or enhances estrogen's activity on these cells, Flaws said.Human studies have found BPA in many tissues and fluids, including urine, blood, breast milk, the amniotic fluid of pregnant women and the antral fluid of mature follicles. A national survey conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2003-2004 found BPA in 93 percent of the 2,517 people (age 6 and up) who were tested.

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Connecticut becomes second US state to ban bisphenol A

The US State of Connecticut has become the second US State to impose restrictions on the use of containers containing the plastics processing chemical bisphenol A. Minnesota imposed similar restrictions earlier this year as well as introducing a "toxic-free kids act"

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Maine Moms Protest Use Of Chemicals In Products

A group of moms gathered in Monument Square in Portland to urge federal officials to ban toxic chemicals from baby products and other household items.

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Our exposure to controversial chemical may be greater than dose considered safe

People are likely being exposed to the commonly used chemical bisphenol A (BPA) at levels much higher than the recommended safe daily dose, according to a new study in monkeys. The results will be presented Thursday at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. "BPA is now known to be a potent estrogen," said Frederick vom Saal, PhD, a co-author of the new study and a professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia. "Human and animal studies indicate it could be related to diabetes, heart disease, liver abnormalities, miscarriage and other reproductive abnormalities, as well as prostate and breast cancer." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared BPA is safe based on estimates that people consume only small amounts each day from food. However, recent research indicated that U.S. adults are exposed to more BPA from multiple sources than previously thought, vom Saal said. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food and beverage containers, such as water and infant bottles, as well as in the epoxy resin lining of cans and other sources. The chemical can leach into food and beverages, according to the National Institutes of Health, which funded the study by vom Saal and colleagues. "Between 8 and 9 billion pounds of BPA are used in products every year," vom Saal said.

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Bisphenol A exposure increases risk of abnormal heart rhythms in female rodents

The chemical bisphenol A, commonly found in many plastic household items, has been linked to yet another health problem in animals—an increased frequency of arrhythmias, or heartbeat irregularities, a new study found. The results, seen only in females, will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Past animal studies show that bisphenol A, or BPA, can have harmful effects on the reproductive, nervous and immune systems. Also, a study in humans reported last year found an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease in people with high levels of BPA in the urine. However, the effects of BPA on the heart are unknown, said study co-author Scott Belcher, PhD, associate professor in the University of Cincinnati's Department of Pharmacology and Cell Biophysics. In the new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the University of Cincinnati researchers found that low-dose BPA and estrogen can act alone or in combination to increase harmful arrhythmias in female rats and mice. Because BPA has properties similar to the main female hormone estrogen, it is considered an "environmental estrogen." Mice and rats in the study had normal heart rhythms at baseline, before administration of BPA or estrogen (estradiol), Belcher said. The investigators studied heart rhythms in both the working heart and in cultured heart muscle cells. In both models, exposure to BPA increased the frequency of arrhythmias, compared to baseline, in females but not in male animals, the authors found. Administration of estrogen alone also increased the frequency of arrhythmias in females. Arrhythmias were most frequent in the female rats and mice when they received both BPA and estrogen, at levels normally found in female humans.

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Bisphenol A exposure in pregnant mice permanently changes DNA of offspring

Exposure during pregnancy to the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, found in many common plastic household items, is known to cause a fertility defect in the mother's offspring in animal studies, and now researchers have found how the defect occurs. The results of the new study will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The study, funded partly by the National Institutes of Health, joins a growing body of animal research showing the toxic health effects of BPA, including reproductive and developmental problems. Last August the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found BPA to be safe as currently used but later said more research on its safety is needed. BPA is used to make hard polycarbonate plastic, such as for baby bottles, refillable water bottles and food containers, as well as to make the linings of metal food cans.BPA has estrogen-like properties and in pregnant animals has been linked to female infertility. "The big mystery is how does exposure to this estrogen-like substance during a brief period in pregnancy lead to a change in uterine function," said study co-author Hugh Taylor, MD, professor and chief of the reproductive endocrinology section at Yale University School of Medicine.

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BPA may cause heart disease in women, research shows

New research by a team of scientists at the University of Cincinnati (UC) shows that bisphenol A (BPA) may be harmful for the heart, particularly in women. Results of several studies are being presented in Washington, D.C., at ENDO 09, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, June 10-13. A research team lead by Scott Belcher, PhD, Hong Sheng Wang, PhD, and Jo El Schultz, PhD, in the department of pharmacology and cell biophysics, found that exposure to BPA and/or estrogen causes abnormal activity in hearts of female rats and mice. In addition, these researchers found that estrogen receptors are responsible for this affect in heart muscle cells. "There is broad exposure to bisphenol A, despite recognition that BPA can have harmful effects," Belcher says. "We had reason to believe that harmful cardiovascular affects can be added to the list." BPA, an environmental pollutant with estrogen activity, is used to make hard, clear plastic and is common in many food product containers. It has been linked to neurological defects, diabetes and breast and prostate cancer.

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State bans chemical in baby bottles

Bisphenol-A is found in many plastics, but Minnesota becomes the first to outlaw sale of items containing it.

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EWG Calls on Coca-Cola to Protect Customers from BPA

Environmental Working Group (EWG) today called on The Coca-Cola Company’s chairman and chief executive officer Muhtar Kent to take immediate steps to reduce children’s exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical used in beverage bottles and beverage can linings. “Along with hundreds of thousands of Environmental Working Group supporters, I was very disappointed to read reports in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Washington Post that a Coca-Cola representative joined chemical and food processing company lobbyists in a recent meeting to consider, among other things, the use of “fear tactics” to protect the market for the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA),” EWG’s President, Ken Cook wrote Kent. An internal industry document obtained by journalists and EWG show that a Coca-Cola representative took part in a May 28 food and chemical industry strategy session at Washington’s exclusive Cosmos Club, during which, the document said, “Attendees suggested using fear tactics (e.g. ‘Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?’)” According to the leaked document, “Their ‘holy grail’ spokesperson would be a ‘pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA’.” “Is this the kind of “marketing” effort that Coca-Cola stands behind when it comes to toxic chemicals that contaminate the food supply?” Cook wrote.

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Our Exposure to Controversial Chemical May be Greater than Dose Considered Safe

People are likely being exposed to the commonly used chemical bisphenol A (BPA) at levels much higher than the recommended safe daily dose, according to a new study in monkeys. The results will be presented Thursday at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Bill would ban BPA in baby products

Wisconsin would become the third state to ban the sale of baby bottles and cups for children made with bisphenol A under a bill being introduced Wednesday in Madison.

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BPA linked to cell damage in post-menopausal women but not men, younger women.

Women in menopause are more prone to the BPA-associated health effects of inflammation and oxidative stress than either men or women who are still menstruating, finds this study of Korean adults. This is the first time BPA has been linked to these conditions in people and suggests older women may be more susceptible to the chemical's estrogen-like manner that drives these particular types of cell damage. Oxidative stress can be involved with aging, cancer and other disease states.

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BPA may reduce fertility in lab mice

Exposure to Bisphenol A, a chemical widely used in plastics, may impair the growth and function of female reproductive cells in mice, a new study from the University of Illinois has found.

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Pregnant women told to avoid BPA packaging

A US health-advocacy group has warned that pregnant women should reduce their exposure to packaging that contains bisphenol A (BPA) to avoid passing the controversial chemical to their unborn children.

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Medical group calls for reducing use of BPA

Hormone-like chemicals in plastics, pesticides and other products pose "significant concern for public health," possibly causing infertility, cancer and malformations, a medical society announced Wednesday.

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Experts probe plastic bottles' chemical link to ill-health

There is growing concern over the use of plastics for food and water packaging following studies linking plastic container's chemical, Bisphenol-A (BPA), to degenerative diseases.

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Estrogen mimics at low doses change how brain cells manage dopamine

For the first time, scientists find that extremely low levels of some types of environmental estrogens disrupt specialized brain cells and their ability to regulate brain chemistry. All of the EEs tested changed the way cells released and reabsorbed dopamine, an important chemical messenger that governs movement and pleasure. In some cases, the responses were stronger when natural estrogens were mixed with one EE, as exposures most likely occur in people and animals. These changes may explain how EEs contribute to nervous system diseases, such as Parkinsons and schizophrenia, that are caused by abnormal dopamine responses. Xenoestrogens and other estrogen mimics are environmental contaminants that act in ways similar to -- but not exactly like -- natural hormones such as estrogen. Exposure to these chemicals, particularly at very low levels, can cause biological outcomes that are not predicted by traditional experimental procedures.

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Polycarbonate bottles lead to "substantial increase" in urinary BPA levels

Regular consumption of cold drinks from polycarbonate bottles is associated with a substantial increase in urinary bisphenol-A concentrations irrespective of exposure to the substance from other sources, a study by Havard University and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded. The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

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Chicago Bans Bisphenol-A in Baby Bottles

Chicago City Council today passed the nation's first municipal ordinance to protect children's health by eliminating the toxic chemical bisphenol-A from baby bottles and toddler's sippy cups sold in the city as of January 1, 2011.

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bpa
Plastic chemical may raise diabetes risk

A study published in the April 2008 issue of International Journal of Andrology suggests that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical commonly present in the polycarbonated plastic and epoxy resins used for food and beverage containers, may increase risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects nearly 24 million Americans suffer diabetes.

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Hormone worries halt plastic baby bottle sales

Canadian retailers have begun pulling plastic baby bottles containing bisphenol A from their shelves as demand dries up from health-conscious customers.

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Paranoid About Plastics? Consider These 5 Actions

Avoid using plastic containers in the microwave, since unsafe chemicals are released when plastics are heated. Instead, use glass or ceramic containers to microwave food and beverages.

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Is Your Water Bottle Safe?

In a few weeks, the government will release a large-scale study about certain plastic bottles after animal tests showed that Bisphenol A affects hormones. Until then, some say they will switch over to good old-fashioned glass.

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Bottle chemicals may present health risks

Many plastic bottles are composed of polycarbonate plastic - the hard plastic that is used in many baby bottles and drinking bottles, such as the ubiquitous hard-plastic bottles made by Nalgene. Polycarbonate plastic contains a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA, which could have adverse effects on human health and has been shown to leach small amounts of the chemical into water or food.

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Chemical hurts children

Kids should not be drinking bisphenol A with their milk, or eating it with their canned veggies.

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Chemical disrupts cell division by targeting protein

A chemical widely used in plastic beverage and food containers can disrupt cell division by interfering with a protein that is critical to the process, a team of New Mexico State University researchers has found.

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New study blames heat for leaching of chemical from plastics

A new study may provide a clearer picture of how a controversial chemical called bisphenol A leaches out of plastics. Concern over bisphenol A, or BPA, has grown since August, when a government panel expressed "some concern" that the ingredient — used in some plastic bottles, dental sealants and linings of metal cans — causes neural and behavioral problems among children.

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New Jersey joins states seeking to ban toxic chemicals in baby products

New Jersey is joining a growing number of states seeking to ban potentially toxic chemicals found in name-brand children's baby bottles, toys, powders and lotions.

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Chemicals in plastic water bottles can be a concern

recent studies show that the chemicals in plastic bottles No. 3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and No. 7 Lexan/polycarbonate have been found to contain trace amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA). It is a synthetic chemical that is an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to breast and uterine cancer and other health issues. Of course, the amount of BPA that could leach through normal handling is small, but the cumulative effects are the issue.

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Dietary Psyllium Protects Immature Rats from Estrogenic Activity of Bisphenol A

These observations indicate that dietary Psyllium feeding can protect against the estrogenic activity of BPA in rats.

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Do you know what your baby just swallowed? Bisphenol A an increasing concern

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the production of polycarbonates and it is the target of a recent independent study by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization lobbying for health protective policies and sustainable development. BPA also leaches from the metal lining of cans and has been found at alarmingly high rates in one-third of the cans of baby formula. The formulas tested included both the ready-to-eat and the concentrated formulations. The analysis shows that one of every 16 infants is effectively being exposed to BPA levels higher than those proven harmful in animal testing, therefore placing formula-fed infants at the highest risk of contamination amongst the US population.

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Exposure to Bisphenol A Prenatally or in Adulthood Promotes TH2 Cytokine Production Associated with Reduction of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread endocrine-disrupting chemical that can affect humans and animals. BPA promotes the development of TH2 cells in adulthood and both TH1 and TH2 cells in prenatal stages by reducing the number of regulatory T cells.

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Calif. may be first to ban chemical in baby items

Responding to growing consumer anxiety, California lawmakers are considering enacting what could be the first statewide restrictions on a chemical found in plastic baby bottles and infant formula cans.

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Grant to Study If Early BPA Exposure Leads to Late Prostate Cancer

Does exposure of baby boys -- in utero or in infancy -- to bisphenol A, a man-made chemical which mimics natural estrogens, predispose them to prostate cancer later in life? A five-year, $2.6 million grant to a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher and her colleague aims to answer this question by shedding light on the mechanism by which it may occur. Gail Prins, professor of urology at the UIC College of Medicine and lead investigator on the grant, and her colleague, Shuk-Mei Ho, professor and chair of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati, established in earlier studies in animals that perinatal exposure to BPA at very low doses results in increased sensitivity to estrogen as the male animal ages and an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

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U.S. government looks into whether chemical in some plastics can cause harm

Bisphenol A is a manmade chemical used to make many hard plastic products: reusable food containers, DVDs, helmets and goggles. It's also in the protective linings in food cans and dental sealants.

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Don't Put Your Coffee in Plastic Cups

The amount of dangerous bisphenol A (BPA) that leaches from plastic bottles into the drinks they contain is most dependent on the liquid's temperature, according to new research. When both new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles were exposed to boiling hot water, BPA was released 55 times more rapidly.

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New study blames heat for leaching of chemical from plastics

A new study may provide a clearer picture of how a controversial chemical called bisphenol A leaches out of plastics.

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FDA Cites Discredited Industry Science in Justifying High Levels of Contaminants in Infant Formula - Ignores Federally Funded Research Showing Serious Health Risks

In response to a congressional inquiry, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) admitted that it based its determination that current levels of BPA exposure pose no health risks on two studies sponsored by the American Plastics Council (APC), the trade group that represents BPA manufacturers. One of these studies has been found to be deeply flawed by BPA experts and the other study has not been published nor has its results been made public.

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FDA Relied on Industry Studies to Judge Chemical Safety

Ignoring hundreds of government and academic studies showing a chemical commonly found in plastic can be harmful to lab animals at low doses, the Food and Drug Administration determined the chemical was safe based on just two industry-funded studies that didn't find harm.

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Bisphenol A Linked to Chemotherapy Resistance

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments, say University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists. The research study, led by UC’s Nira Ben-Jonathan, PhD, says that BPA—a man-made chemical found in a number of plastic products, including drinking bottles and the lining of food cans—actually induces a group of proteins that protect cancer cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy.

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Research Shows Link Between Bisphenol A And Disease In Adults

A research team from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and the University of Iowa, have found evidence linking Bisphenol A (BPA) to diabetes and heart disease in adults.Their research paper is to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Wednesday 17 September and it is the first time that evidence has emerged of the association between higher BPA levels and disease in adults. BPA is a controversial chemical commonly used in food and drink containers. It has previously caused concerns over health risks to babies, as it is present in some baby’s bottles. BPA is used in polycarbonate plastic products such as refillable drinks containers, compact disks, some plastic eating utensils and many other products in everyday use. It is one of the world’s highest production volume chemicals, with over 2.2 million tonnes (6.4 billion pounds) produced in 2003, with an annual growth in demand of between six and 10 per cent each year. Many previous studies in laboratory animals have suggested that BPA is safe, but some laboratory studies have raised doubts. Experiments in which mice and rats were exposed to BPA have shown that higher doses of the chemical can lead to liver damage, insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity. The laboratory animal evidence is complicated and controversial. Some scientists believe that BPA can disrupt the work done by hormones, especially oestrogen, but the full biological effects of BPA in humans is far from clear. The research team analysed information from the US government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004, the only large-scale data available on BPA concentrations excreted in urine. The research team analysed the results for the 1455 adults aged between 18 and 74 years old for whom measures were available. This study group is representative of the general population of the USA. The analysis found that the 25 per cent of the population with the highest BPA levels were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and/or diabetes, compared to the 25 per cent with the lowest BPA levels. Higher BPA levels were also associated with clinically abnormal liver enzyme concentrations. While this study has identified a statistical association between BPA and adult diseases for the first time, much more research is needed. Future work needs to exclude the small possibility that the association is due to some other unstudied factor, or that people with these diseases somehow become more exposed to BPA. It is also unclear whether the liver enzyme changes are linked to liver damage.

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Ottawa investigates chemical found in baby bottles

The federal government is looking into whether bisphenol-A, a common chemical in hard plastic containers such as baby bottles, is harmful to humans.

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Estrogen Mimicry of Bisphenol-A Threatens Human and Animal Health

Bisphenol-A could be making us fatter. Diet and too little exercise are the main culprits of what has been called the obesity epidemic, but the hormone mimicker bisphenol-A might be tipping the scales, so to speak.

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Study Shows Why Synthetic Estrogens Wreak Havoc on Reproductive System

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine now have a clearer understanding of why synthetic estrogens such as those found in many widely-used plastics have a detrimental effect on a developing fetus, cause fertility problems, as well as vaginal and breast cancers. Preliminary results of the study will be presented at the 2008 Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI) Annual Scientific Meeting held March 26-29 in San Diego, California. The study was led by Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science and section chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale School of Medicine. Past research shows that exposure to the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) alters the expression of HOXA10, a gene necessary for uterine development, and increases the risk of cancer and pregnancy complications in female offspring.Pregnant women are frequently exposed to other similar substances with estrogen-like properties, such as Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is found in common household plastics and has recently been linked to long-term fertility problems. Like DES, these other substances may also impact female reproductive tract development and the future fertility of female fetuses.

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Facts About BPA

Facts about bpa

The war on Bisphenol A - we caught Coca-Cola plotting to deceive you

We caught Coca-Cola and Del Monte plotting to deceive you about the dangers of BPA. Last week food and chemical lobbyists met in Washington, DC to save BPA - they're desperate to block state and federal efforts to regulate their $6 billion industry. We were shocked when we read internal meeting minutes that revealed an unethical strategy to keep your family eating and drinking from BPA-laden containers.

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Richard Wiles / EWG

Plastic causing diseases

Canada declared BPA a toxin and banned the production and importation of BPA-impregnated material nationwide.

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Baby - zuigflesjes met het giftige Bisphenol - A worden niet meer gebruikt in de crêche.

Ondanks de geruststellende woorden van Minister Bachelot (Volksgezondheid) gaan de crêches in Parijs over tot het gebruik van glazen zuigflessen.

Zie 20h nieuwsvideo van 18 april 2009.

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Ditta

UAB research revives cancer concerns about some plastic additives

Animal research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is resurrecting cancer concerns about a plastic additive commonly used in consumer products, including baby bottles, water bottles and the linings of cans.

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More Concerns Over Bisphenol A

THE SUSPECTED LINK between low levels of human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a monomer widely used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, and adverse health affects was bolstered last week with the publication of four toxicology studies that investigated the link.

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Infant Formula Cans Lined With Toxic Chemical BPA

An investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that nearly all infant formulas are packaged in containers that contain the dangerous toxin bisphenol A.

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A warning on plastic baby bottles

An article on May 6 Daily Mail from the United Kingdom warned that the chemical, bisphenol A, is an estrogen-like compound, which mimics the female hormone estrogen, and can pass from clear plastics into milk, water and juice, particularly when containers are heated. While studies have yet to be conducted to directly examine BPAs' influence on humans, past animal studies have found low doses of the chemical to be associated with early-stage prostate and breast cancers, early puberty and decreased sperm count.

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FDA Claims Cancer-Causing Chemical in Infant Formula is "Safe"

In spite of the fact that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown in laboratory studies to affect the endocrine system, the FDA continues to call it safe, saying that its presence in infant formula should not be cause for concern.

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Is plastic making us fat?

Researchers are exploring whether exposure to common chemicals during early development could set us up for a lifetime battle with the bulge

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Agency warns of chemical found in cans of baby formula

The Environmental Working Group, the non-profit agency that warned consumers about a chemical found in plastic baby bottles, is out with new research which claims the chemical is also found in cans of baby formula.

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Hot water 'increases baby bottle chemicals'

Hot liquids dramatically increase the amount of harmful chemicals released by plastic bottles, according to a study. Scientists found that polycarbonate plastic bottles released a known environmental pollutant 55 times more quickly when filled with boiling water

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How Can I Avoid BPA?

Environmental groups in the United States and Canada call for a ban on the use of bisphenol, a potentially dangerous chemical found in baby bottles and sipping containers.

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Elucidating the Binding Characteristics of Bisphenol A

These findings raise the immediate question of whether reported BPA-related endocrine disruption might actually be mediated through ERR-? rather than through ER. Additionally, the researchers stress the need to determine the normal physiologic roles of ERR-? as well as the ways in which BPA might affect these roles. Given the strong expression of ERR-? in the fetal brain and placenta, further information is especially urgent with regard to outcomes for newborns.

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Hot liquids release potentially harmful chemicals in polycarbonate plastic bottles

When it comes to Bisphenol A exposure from polycarbonate plastic bottles, it's not whether the container is new or old but the liquid's temperature that has the most impact on how much BPA is released, according to University of Cincinnati scientists.

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Are Tupperware Plastics Safe?

Some Tupperware food storage containers use polycarbonate (plastic nr 7), which has been shown to leach the harmful hormone-disrupting chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) into food items after repeated uses. Consumers concerned about such risks might want to avoid the following polycarbonate-based Tupperware products: the Rock 'N Serve microwave line, the Meals-in-Minutes Microsteamer, the "Elegant" Serving Line, the TupperCare baby bottle, the Pizza Keep' N Heat container, and the Table Collection (the last three are no longer made but might still be kicking around your kitchen).

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Can common chemicals make us fat?

A study at the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that mice fed bisphenol A during early development, at lower amounts than what would have resulted in the levels found in most people in the CDC study, become markedly more obese as adults than those that weren't fed the chemical. Tufts University scientists observed similar phenomenon in rats.

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Chemical reaction - plastic drink bottles

For years, athletes and hikers have toted their water in colourful, durable BPA bottles. Baby bottles, too, have been made of bisphenol A -- strong, shatterproof, easy to heat in the microwave. Now, all of sudden, BPA is in headlines.

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Research Biased on Harmful Chemical BPA, New Report States

For decades, the federal government and chemical-makers have assured the public that the hormone-mimicking compound Bisphenol-A is safe. This chemical is found in baby bottles, aluminum cans and hundreds of other household products. But a recent investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has found that studies and research are heavily funded by the same companies that produce the chemical. The article states that 80% of academically and government-funded research found that bisphenol-A is harmful in laboratory animals. Most of the industry-funded studies found there was no harm.

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