In the wake of a Canadian plan to prohibit bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says he will introduce a bill to ban BPA in all children’s products made or sold in the U.S, according to a story by Ian Austen in yesterday’s New York Times.
On Friday, the Canadian government announced that it will draft rules to prohibit the import, sale and advertising of baby bottles containing BPA. In a news release, Health Canada cited a government health assessment in its decision. The announcement said the general public need not be concerned, but infants may face a special risk. From the news release:
It was determined that the main sources of exposure for newborns and infants are through the use of polycarbonate baby bottles when they are exposed to high temperatures and the migration of bisphenol A from cans into infant formula.
The scientists concluded in this assessment that bisphenol A exposure to newborns and infants is below levels that cause effects; however, due to the uncertainty raised in some studies relating to the potential effects of low levels of bisphenol A, the Government of Canada is taking action to enhance the protection of infants and young children.
The Edmonton Journal focused on the Canadian government’s decision to spend $1.7 million over the next three years to further investigate BPA for its effects on health.
Meanwhile, attorneys general from Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware have sent letters to 11 baby-bottle and formula manufacturers asking them to stop using BPA in their products, according to a report by writer Larry Smith of the Association Press.
Overall, researchers remain at odds over the risks of BPA, which is believed to mimic human hormones. One preliminary study released last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association linked higher exposures of BPA to heart disease and diabetes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tentatively concluded that BPA is safe, but the agency is offering tips on how to reduce exposure. BPA is found in some, but not all, of the plastic containers identified with a catch-all number “7” in the recycling triangle. Heating or placing hot liquids into such a container tends to increase the rate of leaching into the liquid, experts say.
I honestly don’t know how concerned we should be about this. As a precaution, I have thrown away several reusable water containers that my wife and I used for hiking. They were hard plastic, colored and had a “7” on the bottom, so they probably contained BPA. For previous discussions on this topic, see Watching Our Water Ways for August 29 and April 11.
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