U.S. Slow to Take Action on Phthalates, Bisphenol-A Chemicals in Plastics

[Guest guest]

U.S. Slow to Take Action on Phthalates, Bisphenol-A Chemicals in Plastics

Friday, May 02, 2008 by: Gutierrez

http://www.naturalnews.com/023158.html

NaturalNews) Despite mounting evidence of severe health risks from two

hormone-disrupting chemicals widely used in plastics, the U.S. government has

been slow to regulate the substances.

Phthalates, used to soften plastic and make it flexible, are utilized in

products ranging from medical devices (including tubing, catheters and

intravenous bags) to car interiors and baby products like toys and teethers.

Bisphenol A, which makes plastic hard, translucent and shatter-resistant, is

used in bottled water and baby bottles, food containers, dental products and the

lining of food cans.

Studies have implicated both as endocrine disruptors, or chemicals that mimic

the body's natural hormones, and lead to disruptive effects ranging from cancers

to birth defects. Because hormones operate at concentrations in the body as low

as one part per billion, even small levels of such toxins can have serious

effects.

In 2000, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

discovered that 75 percent of people in the United States contain detectable

levels of phthalates in their urine. Another study detected bisphenol A in the

bodies of 95 percent of those tested.

The American Medical Association has urged the FDA to require that all medical

products containing a certain type of phthalate to be labeled, so that exposure

to infants can be limited. The agency has not acted, but more than 100 hospitals

have started to remove such products from nurseries.

In 1996, Congress ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to test

pesticides for endocrine disrupting effects, but to date the agency has not

tested a single chemical. The Congressional mandate does not even include

chemicals found in plastics. Meanwhile, the EPA has asked the National Academy

of Sciences to compile a report on phthalates to guide the agency in setting a

safe maximum dosage requirement, which does not currently exist. Even after this

point, it would still be up to other agencies to impose regulations on the

chemicals.

" Europe took [phthalates] out of toys years ago, " said Marina Borrone, a

California mother. " Why are we so behind? "

The European Union banned three forms of phthalates from children's items in

2005 and restricted three others. Canada has not used phthalates in children's

products since 1998, and California introduced a similar ban in October.