
Web sites study released by the Journal of the American Medical Union raises a concern about the chemical bisphenol-A, (BPA) in plastic containers, metal cans and various food packaging, as well as in all the eco-friendly reusable water bottles we’re all carrying around.
Determined a health survey, the study found that those who received higher amounts of BPA in their urine were more likely to state having heart disease and diabetes. Of course the research presents basically no information that says the BPA caused these conditions, and then the study authors agree that you can’t rule out the possibility that men and women that already have heart disease or diabetes are more vulnerable to having BPA show up in their samples.
True to form, NBC’s Today Reveal aired a report earlier this year that glossed over the truth and highlighted a fearful danger – needlessly troubled millions of us who’ve fed our children from clear clear plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, who’ve tried will not add to the world’s pollution by switching to re-useable liquid bottles.
The story had us turning over our cosmetic containers in search of numbers (resin ID codes #3, #6 and #7) that it turns out, don’t have anything to do which includes a product being made from BPA, the chemical bad guy within the piece.
The “Consumer Alert” (inaccurately) said:
- There isn’t safe level of BPA, when in fact the chemical is actually studied for many years and found to be safe, especially considering that the levels we tend to ingest are thousands of times lower than the rats which studied.
- Plastics containing BPA aren’t safe on the microwave, yet a Dutch study that focused on BPA migration after microwaving found no evidence of any such detail.
- Codes on the bottom of a container can tell you if at all safe. Wrong! These resin ID codes are intended to aid in recycling facilities, and have nothing to do with identifying wines that have BPA. Any item intended to be used for food must circulate tough FDA guidelines before its ever allowed that can be purchased.
All this flies in the face of 40 years of science, according to an announcement released by the American Chemistry Council a few days after the At present segment aired. Another thoughtful piece by Gilbert Ross, M. D. of the American Council On Science Together with Health (who also appeared, very briefly in the report) came out and called the Today report what it is tutorial junk science.
Not only that, the in-studio guest, Dr . Leo Trasande of Mount Sinai Medical Center was given ample effort during the six minute long segment to convey his subject matter, while Dr . Ross had only 6 seconds to discover viewers that, “The toxic effects found on rats happen to be done at thousands of times higher than we are exposed to while in the environment. “
Not so “fair and balanced” now is it again?
The media mis-information comes as the result of a report via the National Toxicology Program that was a follow up from an specialized panel review completed in 2007. Both the expert panel and also NTP reports similarly concluded a low-rate risk, or possibly negligible concern, for adults and some concern for youngsters and children.
“That is the third-lowest ranking on NTP’s five-level scale. Yet the media has mischaracterized the judgements as suggesting a new direction is being given by NTP within the use of BPA. This is inaccurate, ” says Sharon Kneiss, vice president of the products division of the American Chemistry Authorities (ACC).
Until the science is sorted out, there is no option to tell if a bottle you’re using is made with BPA. When you’re especially concerned, you might want to avoid warming or microwaving food stuff or beverages in plastic containers until more investigate on the leaking of the chemical can be completed.
In the meantime the main FDA is having a second scientific panel give an opinion over the safety of BPA in plastic bottles and other packaging, but the agency has confidence in its own research, more with care DESIGN PRODUCT and thorough than the human studies that are considered causing all the concern.