Toxic Chemical Used in Drinking Bottles (Bisphenol A)
The Canadian government announced on April 18, 2008 that they will ban baby bottles which contain bisphenol A (BPA), which was concluded to be toxic. The chemical BPA may be linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer and early puberty. Experiments also revealed precancerous tumors and urinary tract problems in rats injected with bisphenol A.
BPA can be found in many plastic drinking bottles and even some cans used for storing baby formula. Tony Clement, Canadian Health Minister, stated that most people “need not be concerned”; however “this is not the case for newborns and infants.” Clement further explained that, “We have concluded that early development is sensitive to the effects of bisphenol A.”
The main source of bisphenol A has been determined to stem from transfer from the plastic bottles when boiling water is poured inside as well as the lining of the tin cans in which many baby formulas are shipped and sold. Clement further explained “Although our science tells us that exposure levels to newborns and infants are below the levels that cause effects, we believe that the current safety margin needs to be higher. We have concluded that it is better to be safe than sorry.”
While the Canadian government is already actively warning and taking measures to protect its citizens from bisphenol A, the FDA is being accused by Congressmen of selectively choosing results to support their decision to permit the use in products used by children and infants. An inquiry was launched in January 2008 by Congressmen John Dingell and Bart Stupak into how the FDA’s determined the safety of BPA. April 9, 2008 lawmakers threatened to subpoena the FDA regarding how they made their final decision on bisphenol A. The FDA said that they will respond but not necessarily before they are subpoenaed.
Companies have already started pledging to eliminate the toxic chemical from their products. The popular drinking bottle manufacturer Nalgene announced in an official release that they will be completely phasing out bisphenol A in their Outdoor line of polycarbonate bottles over the next several months. Wal-Mart pledges to remove baby bottles containing BPA early in 2009. Wal-Mart also reminded consumers that they already sell some BPA-free baby bottles.