What is BPA?

BPA stands for Bisphenol A. BPA is considered a monomer; that means that it is a molecule that can become bonded to another molecule to form a polymer. It’s this quality that makes BPA perfect to create certain polymer plastics and epoxy resins.

However, the bond in those polymers may not be as strong as it might appear.

Scientists have suspected that BPA was hazardous since the 1930′s. Despite that, it continues to be used. In fact, in 2003 it is estimated that over 2 million metric tonnes of BPA was used in products of all kinds.

What kinds of products use BPA?

BPA is ubiquitous in modern life. It used in a variety of plastics, most notably the hard polycarbonate reusable water bottle and plastic baby bottle. Baby bottles with BPA have now been banned in many North American jurisdictions, although California’s attempt to ban this substance has just failed, despite a plethora of scientific studies that show BPA leaches at both high and low temperatures. It is also linked to a large number of health issues including breast and prostrate cancer, infertility, obesity, and neurological and behavioral changes, including autism and hyperactivity.

So, the combination of leaching plus the potential health dangers should mean that we limit BPA’s use, right? Think again. BPA is used in sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental fillings and sealants, eyeglass lenses, CDs and DVDs, and household electronics. So, that last filling your child got (and which you thought was healthier because it didn’t contain mercury) could be leaching BPA directly into your child’s body.

BPA is not just used in hard plastics: it’s also used in the coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans, including baby formula.

What’s the problem with BPA?

Perhaps the scariest issue with BPA is that it mimics estrogen in the human body.

In 2004, the CDC found BPA (and its residues) in the urine of nearly 100 per cent of individuals tested. Since BPA is believed to exit the body fairly quickly, it must be entering the general population on a daily basis to turn up in almost all urine samples taken. Of course, this is simple for the average person: a pop and a lunch of canned chili and you’ve ingested a significant dose of BPA. If you heated up a container with BPA in it when you warmed your lunch, the BPA will leach out 55 times faster, giving you a much bigger dose.

BPA And Allergies

If all that wasn’t enough, BPA does show a link to food allergies as well.

Recent studies show that food sensitivity and autoimmune issues were linked to higher levels of BPA in the body. It appears that BPA may alter the function of immune cells with surface markers known as CD4 and CD25. These cells play a role in developing a proper tolerance of food. In other words, if your child’s BPA level is high, you may be increasing their chances of food allergy.

BPA levels can become even higher in the body if the body cannot clear it. Glutathione is a critical piece to moving BPA out. If the liver is impaired – or the dose of BPA fairly constant – getting rid of BPA can become a real issue, as the longer it is in the body, the more it can disrupt normal functioning.

Sources: San Francisco Chronicle online; Scientific American; Generation Rescue; Wikipedia;