The Canadian government has become the first to officially classify the ubiquitous, hormone mimicking, plastics chemical <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">bisphenol A (BPA), as a toxin, said the Washington Post.
A number of entities, states, and countries have implemented bans and restrictions on BPA in certain products, including Connecticut; Maryland; Massachusetts; Minnesota; Vermont; Wisconsin; and Washington; Suffolk Counties and other counties in New York state; Denmark: France; Australia; and New Zealand. Canada was the first country to issue a BPA ban in 2008. 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 known to imitate the hormone estrogen. 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. Professor David Melzer, a scientist at Exeter University described BPA as “gender bending,†calling for BPA to undergo the same safety trials as emerging medications.
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 erectile dysfunction and male sexual problems. BPA is found in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans and 90 percent of American newborns.
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.
BPA can be found in appliances and windshields; aluminum can linings; baby bottles, infant formula, and sippy cups; eyeglasses; some dental sealants; water bottles; cars; and DVD and CD cases. As a component, BPA can be verified if the item contains recycling number 7. Science Daily pointed out that over six billion pounds of BPA are produced each year.
Despite ongoing reports about the potential health hazards of BPA, the estrogenic, polycarbonate plastic continues to be found in everything from food and beverage can linings, to water bottles, to sippy cups. Most recently, we have been writing about the implications of BPA in thermal paper receipts and naval paints, which leeches BPA into our aquatic environments.
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 in humans who are exposed to the chemical there exists negative health reactions connected to exposure to BPA.
Also, 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.
