Should parents worry about bisphenol A, aka B-P-A?
A BPA ban was narrowly defeated in the Oregon legislature this year, but Hackenmiller Paradis tells KVAL News they will try again in the next legislative session. Opponents say BPA bans could lead to other health consequences. Hear from both sides on KVAL News at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23.
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Bisphenol A is found all around your home.
A growing number of researchers say the chemical can have serious health consequences, especially for fetuses and young children.
But others say there's no need for parents to worry about BPA - yet.
Most concern focuses on the use of BPA in food and beverage packaging, where it can leach into the products and get into our bodies. The Centers for Disease Control found very low levels BPA in the urine of more than 90 percent of people they tested.
There's debate about whether or not those low levels can affect humans.
Dozens of tests on animals have linked BPA exposure to a variety of health issues, from developmental problems to mammary cancer.
While the FDA says it has "some concern" about the effect that bisphenol A (BPA) could have on the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children, it also says more research needs to be done to clear up "uncertainties" about the test results. Namely, if they are causing the same problems in humans.
But those results are enough for the Oregon Environmental Council, an organization that is pushing for BPA bans in certain products.
"The argument's really on what's a definable safe level," said Renee Hackenmiller Paradis, the environmental program director for the Oregon Environmental Council. "We take the stand that it's a toxic chemical, so there's really no level of safe exposure."
Others caution that more research needs to be done.
"We have to be comfortable telling the public we have no evidence that it's causing toxic effects," said Robert Tanguay, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at Oregon State University. "But we do not have enough evidence to say it's not toxic. And that's just an honest answer."
Tanguay has been studying how BPA affects zebrafish for three years.
His research revealed that BPA has what he calls a "subtle impact" on the central nervous system of fish.
"We asked fish that were previously exposed to bisphenol A, just very low concentration, you turn the lights off, they move more, so they're hyperactive," he explained.
Tanguay saw the effect in only some zebrafish. Now his team is trying to figure out which genes BPA affects. Then, they can study those genes in humans.
In the meantime, he says parents should not be overly concerned about risks to their children.
"If you can't tolerate risk at all, then I would avoid using BPA," said Tanguay. "Not based on the science, but based on the emotional concern about the uncertainty."
Hackenmiller-Paradis said parents can easily seek out BPA free alternatives to reduce exposure.
"The studies that we've seen, we feel it's enough evidence that we should take caution and reduce exposures where we can," she said .
To reduce your exposure to BPA:
- Look for BPA-free plastic food and beverage containers (plastics with BPA usually have a number seven on the bottom)
- Use glass, porcelain or stainless steel food and beverage containers, especially for hot food and liquids
- Reduce your use of canned foods by purchasing more fresh and frozen products
A BPA ban was narrowly defeated in the Oregon legislature this year, but Hackenmiller Paradis tells KVAL News they will try again in the next legislative session. Opponents say BPA bans could lead to other health consequences. Hear from both sides on KVAL News at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23.
