Another BPA ban is being considered in Oregon and is seeking the chemical be banned from plastic baby bottles. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee is holding a public hearing on the bill on today, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Bisphenol A—BPA—is a highly ubiquitous polycarbonate chemical used to harden plastic products, making them […]
Another <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">BPA ban is being considered in Oregon and is seeking the chemical be banned from plastic baby bottles. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee is holding a public hearing on the bill on today, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Bisphenol A—BPA—is a highly ubiquitous polycarbonate chemical used to harden plastic products, making them shatterproof.
We recently wrote that nine states banned BPA in baby bottles; Connecticut and Vermont also banned BPA from infant-formula cans and baby-food jars. Washington state is implementing a two-part ban that initiates on July 1.
Oregon attempted to implement a BPA ban in 2010, but the measure failed mostly due to, said Sightline Daily, inclusion of baby food containers; the Washington ban excludes metal cans, even if those cans are used for baby food.
It seems that BPA, often used as a tin can liner, leaches out cans and into foods, according to Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). We recently wrote that Oregon is seeking an additional rule: That manufacturers include information on labels and packaging on those items containing BPA. Also, the Oregon Environmental Council opened a Facebook page to garner support for its legislation.
Acting as an anti-androgen—anti-androgens are substances that block hormone activity—BPA affects sexual development and processes, especially in developing fetuses, infants, and children. BPA has been inked to toxic injury and life threatening illnesses in hundreds of studies which have made these links to cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of reproductive and immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, interruptions in chemotherapy, premature puberty, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), female fertility issues, erectile dysfunction, and male sexual problems. Most recently, BPA, has been linked, again, to sperm health issues but, this time, the study involved humans.
In addition to growing concern over the negative impact of BPA on health and the environment, and despite tremendous public support for increased regulation concerning toxic chemicals, Congress has continued to act on the side of industry.
Those in agreement with the Oregon ban argue that BPA’s estrogenic properties create hormone disruptions in children while opponents say BPA has never been proven unsafe or that only negligible amounts of the toxin leach out of plastic products, said the AP.
Of note, industry has long relied on the results of two studies that found BPA safe at current usage levels; however, those studies were industry conducted.
The ever-present polycarbonate plastic hardener has been implicated in a growing range of consumer products from baby bottles and sippy cups to eyeglass, CD and DVD cases, and water bottles. We recently wrote that the toxic chemical was found in ordinary thermal paper receipts, further intensifying its ubiquity.