There is a controversy on whether BPA should be regulated and whether the amounts in people’s bodies are too low to be capable of inflicting harm. BPA, bisphenol A, is used to make polycarbonate plastic, the lining on canned foods and drinks, and paper receipts. More than 90% of Americans tested have traces of BPA in their bodies. BPA imitates estrogen, disrupting hormones. In laboratory animals, it alters how their reproductive systems and brains develop and can lead to breast and prostate cancer. According to studies, people with higher exposure have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. On one side of the debate are toxicologists who focus on describing the amount of a chemical in the human body and how it may behave. On the other side are scientists who study BPA levels in animals and people and have stated that health effects in lab animals at very low levels of BPA exposure are comparable to amounts people encounter through consumer products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration are using this information to decide whether or not to regulate BPA in consumer products. Some manufacturers have already stopped using BPA in plastic baby bottles and receipts.
Justin Teeguarden, senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Daniel Doerge, research chemist at the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research doubt that levels of BPA compounds found in people are having any effects. Teeguarden argued that the levels causing effects in animals studies are much higher than the levels in people. Scientists on the other side say that what’s been measured in people is within the range of amounts that harm lab animals. One of the scientists, University of Missouri-Columbia biology professor Frederick Vom Saal, said “at incredibly low doses, BPA can alter pituitary, breast and prostate cells.” These effects have been seen in animal studies, including those with primates. The biologists say that BPA, like other hormones, seems to have effects at low doses that don’t occur at high doses. This is very strong evidence that suggests that BPA is capable of affecting health at exceptionally low levels of exposure.
I did not know that BPA is in canned foods; which I love, especially canned corn, and in receipts too, that everyone touches. Now that I know, I am going to tell my family to not take the receipts after shopping and to buy BPA-free cans. 99% of people have traces of BPA in their bodies and it's true because many people eat canned since it's so convenient and touch receipts. So that means that a lot of people have low amounts of BPA in their bodies which is not good because even at low levels of exposure, BPA can cause health problems. This is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration should regulate BPA and all manufactures should stop using BPA in canned food linings, plastic baby bottles, receipts and more. Education is the key! If more people knew about this, then they will protest and hopefully BPA is removed from everything!
Justin Teeguarden, senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Daniel Doerge, research chemist at the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research doubt that levels of BPA compounds found in people are having any effects. Teeguarden argued that the levels causing effects in animals studies are much higher than the levels in people. Scientists on the other side say that what’s been measured in people is within the range of amounts that harm lab animals. One of the scientists, University of Missouri-Columbia biology professor Frederick Vom Saal, said “at incredibly low doses, BPA can alter pituitary, breast and prostate cells.” These effects have been seen in animal studies, including those with primates. The biologists say that BPA, like other hormones, seems to have effects at low doses that don’t occur at high doses. This is very strong evidence that suggests that BPA is capable of affecting health at exceptionally low levels of exposure.
I did not know that BPA is in canned foods; which I love, especially canned corn, and in receipts too, that everyone touches. Now that I know, I am going to tell my family to not take the receipts after shopping and to buy BPA-free cans. 99% of people have traces of BPA in their bodies and it's true because many people eat canned since it's so convenient and touch receipts. So that means that a lot of people have low amounts of BPA in their bodies which is not good because even at low levels of exposure, BPA can cause health problems. This is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration should regulate BPA and all manufactures should stop using BPA in canned food linings, plastic baby bottles, receipts and more. Education is the key! If more people knew about this, then they will protest and hopefully BPA is removed from everything!