Joining seven other states and a number of entities and countries, Massachusetts has imposed a ban on the manufacture and sale of plastic products containing bisphenol A—BPA—in items meant for children age three and under. According to the Epoch Times, policymakers described the move as a “precautionary measure.†BPA is a plastic hardening chemical whose […]
Joining seven other states and a number of entities and countries, Massachusetts has imposed a ban on the manufacture and sale of plastic products containing <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">bisphenol A—BPA—in items meant for children age three and under.
According to the Epoch Times, policymakers described the move as a “precautionary measure.â€
BPA is a plastic hardening chemical whose ubiquity is legendary. Hundreds of studies have linked 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, premature puberty, polycystic ovarian syndrome and other female fertility issues, and erectile dysfunction and male sexual problems.
A recent study on which we just wrote revealed that human exposure to the ubiquitous estrogenic polycarbonate chemical is significantly higher than previously believed and also originates from a greater array of sources, many of which remain unknown.
Government agencies—the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) being among the most noteworthy—including the Department of Health and Human Services, have never issued final decisions on the effects of the toxin, which is known to leach into products, whether heated or cold, and into the skin, from items such as paper money and receipts. The FDA does not ban the substance, said the Epoch Times, which noted that some prior tests—which is on what many of these agencies are basing their opinions—concluded that BPA is safe, noted the Epoch Times.
Prior tests have been roundly criticized, said the Epoch Times, and have been questioned by scientists and activists because of how the tests were funded. Because industry was funding the research, many have found the results to be flawed, at the very least.
Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are conducting a $30 million research project to understand BPA’s effects and should have the results of this study to the FDA in 2012, said the Epoch Times.
Regarding the current bans on BPA, including the emerging Massachusetts ban, environmentalists feel they are inadequate and public health officials say that existing research is only strong enough to justify current regulations, wrote the Epoch Times
We recently wrote that another study determined that BPA easily passes through the skin into the body. An issue of significant concern since, as we’ve previously written, BPA is present in a large majority of cash register receipts, has recently been found on paper currency, and has been found in aquatic environments due to the impact of the chemical being found in paint resins used on marine products.
Of note, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found BPA in the urine of most everyone tested in a 2004 analysis of the U.S. population, said Science Daily previously. As we’ve written earlier, BPA is found in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans and 90 percent of American newborns.
