RE : Bisphenol A - Posted on Healthandenvironment.org

[Guest guest]

Dr. Thrasher -

Thanks for this post.

Have any of the European countries formulated a plastic container which does not

contain Bisphenol A, or eliminated it in production? For example, Evian or

many of the other mineral waters. Glass is so heavy and prone to breakage,

creating its own hazard.

There are many products which are banned in Europe, which are allowed in this

country because of the large amounts of lobbying money which are infused into

the pockets of the legislators. There seems to be a greater awareness and less

tolerance for toxic products, hormones fed to animals, etc. there.

Thanks again.

toxicologist1 <toxicologist1@...> a écrit : I

am posting this for our readers. Bisphenol A which is used in

plastics (baby bottles, drinking water) is a known hormone mimicker.

I often see individuals harmed and ill from sick buildings drinking

from plastic bottles. Wrongfully, the bottled water and plastic

industries claim that their water is purified and Bisphenol A is

harmless. A replete of animal studies show differently. Because of

the presence of Bisphenol A, which leaks from the plastic, I

personally urge individuals to not use such products. If you wish to

drink bottled water, find a product that uses glass as the

container. The other area of concern is that this chemical has also

been shown to interfere with thyroid function leading to

thyroiditis. Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.

What's in the plastic?

The Globe and Mail

December 10, 2007

If the day of reckoning has arrived for bisphenol A, it has taken its

own sweet time. The industrial chemical, used in the creation of

the rigid polycarbonate plastic of many water bottles and baby

bottles, has been known since the 1930s to mimic the human hormone

estrogen. It has been in widespread commercial use for almost 50

years, and no countries have restricted its use. Increasingly,

however, independent studies on animals have associated trace amounts

of the chemical with breast and prostate cancers, the early onset of

puberty and other developmental changes. A geneticist at Washington

State University said she began throwing away her polycarbonate

products after finding that minute amounts of bisphenol A altered the

eggs of laboratory mice. At the same time, the plastics industry says

that its studies havefound no ill effects and that traces of

bisphenol A in humans are far below the level at which health might

be compromised. What is a retailer to do? Mountain Equipment Co-op, a

supplier of outdoor clothing and equipment, is clearly conflicted. As

recently as Friday, its website was still defending the sale of

polycarbonate water bottles: " [D]o these bottles have an impact on

our health? We don't believe so. " It cited studies " by the European

Food Safety Authority, the Japanese Research Centre for Chemical Risk

Management and the United States Environmental Protection Agency "

that concluded " polycarbonate is suitable for food-grade use. " It

said it would hang tight unless Health Canada determined there was a

danger. But then it reversed its position. It decided last week to

remove polycarbonate water bottles and food containers from its

shelves and said it would await guidance from the federal government.

Customer pressure may have played a part - a company representative

spoke of " an increasing concern among some members " - but it issued a

statement attributing the change of heart to " inconclusive science

and regulatory uncertainty. "

Translation: Someone must have realized Health Canada is a long way

from providing guidance. Although it placed bisphenol A on a list of

possible hazards for review last year, it isn't expected to provide

even a preliminary view of the product's safety until next spring,

and its final report won't arrive until 2009. Considering all the

independent studies that have found bisphenol A a threat even at

trace levels, and considering how many Canadians use bisphenol-

assisted products daily - in bottles, in the linings of baby- formula

containers, in dental sealants - half a year seems an eternity, let

alone two years. The plastics industry has accused Mountain Equipment

Co-op of overreacting, but erring on the side of safety until the

government pronounces on the controversy seems entirely responsible.

© 2007 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. .

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