|Polycarbonate is a lightweight shatterproof stain resistant plastic with glass-like clarity that has been used for more than 50 years to make thousands of everyday items including dental sealants, liners of food cans, CDs, cell phones, safety glasses, and food containers such as baby bottles, water bottles and food storage containers. Polycarbonate is manufactured from a chemical called bisphenol A or BPA.
During these past 50 years polycarbonate and BPA have been studied extensively for health and safety by the government, by private researchers and by industry. Most agree that BPA can disrupt the hormonal system but there is a wide divergence of opinion between scientists as to whether or not a health risk is posed by the small amount of BPA that might migrate from a polycarbonate container into whatever food or liquid the polycarbonate contains.
The government regulatory agencies in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan, among others, still contend, even today, that polycarbonate containers are safe. So why has the controversy resurfaced now? The Today segments were spurred by a new study on BPA by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services. On April 14, 2008 NTP released a draft report of a new study they conducted. In contrast to previous studies that have concluded that that low exposure to BPA did not pose a health risk, this report concluded that there was ìs some concern particularly during development and that further study is warranted.
Here is a key excerpt:
- The scientific evidence that supports a conclusion of some concern for exposures in fetuses, infants, and children comes from a number of laboratory animal studies reporting that "low" level exposure to bisphenol A during development can cause changes in behavior and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland, and the age at which females attain puberty. These studies only provide limited evidence for adverse effects on development and more research is needed to better understand their implications for human health. However, because these effects in animals occur at bisphenol A exposure levels similar to those experienced by humans, the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed.
For more information visit the NIEHS website