WHAT IS BPA?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical.
It is used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, exposy resins and other products for example water bottles, baby bottles, dummies and plastic containers.
Whilst currently not banned in Australia, it is in many other countries. However, the Australian Government has recently announced a phase out of plastic baby bottles containing BPA.
Many tests have been done worldwide to find out the effects of BPA exposure in humans. There is concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behaviour and prostate gland in foetuses, infants and young children. Concern is highest for young children as their bodies are at an early development stage and have immature systems for detoxifying chemicals.
BPA is an 'Endocrine disruptor' and is listed as a cause for an underactive thyroid. Studies have also found that it could potentially be linked with recurrent miscarriage and infertility in both men and women..
As I search the internet for more information on BPA it is quite scary to see how often it is mentioned as the potential source of many problems. I say potential as in depth studies are being carried out to clarify uncertainties about the risks of BPA exposure and exactly how much is harmful.
Who really knows what damage it is doing to our bodies!
Of course the large manufacturers deny the risks and say that small exposure to BPA is not harmful. But studies are saying otherwise. Hopefully soon we will hear the full outcome from studies being done in the USA and hopefully our Government will ban BPA.
