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Bisphenol A

Level 5 — High concernIn Winter's Dictionary2 sources

Bisphenol A is a other — Used in polycarbonate plastics for baby bottles, food and beverage can linings, dental sealants, water bottles

Also: BPA

What it does

Used in polycarbonate plastics for baby bottles, food and beverage can linings, dental sealants, water bottles

Where you'll see it

Plastic baby bottles, food/beverage can linings, dental sealants, plastic water bottles, formula containers, wine vats, soda containers

What the research says

Linked in animals to altered brains, behavior, and sex. Increased blood pressure and decreased heart rate variability in developmentally exposed children. Potential endocrine disrupter mimicking estrogen, controls brain/reproductive system development. Critics: raises cancer risk, hampers fertility, contributes to childhood behavioral problems like hyperactivity. 95% of Americans estimated to have it in urine per 2004 CDC study. [metabolical] Estrogenic endocrine disruptor leaching from can linings and plastic bottles. High blood BPA correlates with obesity and insulin resistance. Disrupts hormonal regulation, alters epigenetic programming, and contributes to obesogenic phenotype across generations.

Regulatory status

  • Notes: FDA safe limit 0.05 mg/kg body weight; Canada considering declaring it a toxin

Sources

  • Metabolical (Lustig) — Chapter 7; Chapter 20: BPA seeps in anyway, and high levels in the blood correlate with obesity and insulin resistance
  • A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives (Winter): It has been linked in animals to altered brains, behavior, and sex