Despite ongoing reports about the potential health hazards of<"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances"> bisphenol A—BPA—the estrogenic, polycarbonate plastic that can be found in everything from paper thermal receipts to water bottles, the California Senate has defeated a bill to ban the ubiquitous chemical from plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, and baby formula containers, wrote the Associated Press (AP).
The failed measure would have placed limits on BPA to trace amounts in food and beverage containers meant for use by children age three and younger, added the AP.
Senator Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills cited scientific evidence indicating BPA can cause harm to young children’s’ development and, via her bill—SB797—was hoping to implement the ban by January 1, 2012, extending the ban to infant formula containers by July 1, 2012, explained the AP.
A number of entities, states, and countries have already implemented similar bans, including in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington and Suffolk Counties and other counties in New York state.
The BBC previously wrote that BPA has been banned or limited in three countries: Canada, Denmark, and France. Bans are also in place in Australia, and New Zealand and last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it would be launching a study to look at the health effects of BPA, wrote TimesArgus.
BPA is found in a wide variety of consumer products and is known to imitate the hormone estrogen. Acting as an anti-androgen, BPA effects sexual development and processes, especially in developing fetuses, infants, and children. Anti-androgens block hormone activity
Earlier studies linked higher testosterone levels with increased risks of some cancers and heart disease; however it remains unknown if BPA has significant effects on testosterone, noted WebMD.
Most recently we wrote that men exposed to high levels of the polycarbonate plastic test with what WebMD described as a small but significant increase in testosterone, the male sex hormone. The study appears in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Meanwhile, hundreds of prior studies link BPA 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 treatment, premature puberty, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and erectile dysfunction and male sexual problems. BPA is found in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans and 90 percent of all American newborns.
We recently wrote that another report containing the must current collection of published scientific literature regarding BPA’s health impacts found that of 81 studies included in the compilation, 75 concluded that humans are exposed to the chemical there exists negative health reactions connected to exposure to BPA, wrote Toxics Action.
