Toxic Plastic Chemical BPA Should be Avoided, Expert Says
Bisphenol A, the chemical used to make plastic infant bottles, food packaging, and hundreds of other commercial products, should be avoided by children, newborns, and pregnant women, a U.S. expert says.
BPA, as it is commonly known, has been linked to severe developmental delays, sexual dysfunction, and other injuries to people exposed to high levels of the chemical. Young children and unborn babies who are exposed to the chemical are particularly vulnerable. BPA exposure also has been linked to impotence in men exposed to elevated levels of the chemical.
Now, Linda Birnbaum, national director of the Toxicology Program for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said mounting scientific research may have a negative effect on people and should be completely avoided by at-risk groups, according to a UPI news report.
Buy BPA-Free Products, Expert Says
Birnbaum recommends that pregnant women and young children avoid using products containing BPA and instead buy BPA-free products.
“There are plenty of reasonable alternatives,” Birnbaum said.
The Food and Drug Administration has said BPA safe when used in currently approved levels, but many consumer groups and scientists have accused the agency of overlooking studies linking BPA to serious injuries.
“We’re not asking the right questions,” Birnbaum said of the U.S. approach to BPA. “We have to look more broadly.”
The FDA and other agencies recently announced they were taking another look at BPA in light of the criticism. Officials vowed to look at all the research, including incriminating studies critics claim were overlooked in previous FDA evaluations of BPA’s safety.
The FDA’s decision on BPA was to be released last month, but officials said they needed more time to finish their study before releasing the findings.
“We’re not asking the right questions,” Birnbaum said of the U.S. approach to BPA. “We have to look more broadly.”
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