Materials News
A problematic chemical at large Is it safe or unsafe? Industrial chemical Bisphenol A or BPA is the crux of a controversy, which may not be resolved anytime soon, says Angelica Buan in this report.
P
oison does not always come in bottle labelled with skull and crossbones. Every day, practical things we use that are made of plastics may contain toxic chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a vital component to harden plastics, say, in polycarbonate (PC) used for clear plastic infant bottles, sippy cups, toys, and more. BPA can also be found in epoxy resin linings of food-grade cans; packaging, medical devices, thermal paper, sealants, sports equipment, and other consumer items. B u t B PA p o s e s a d a n g e r, a c c o r d i n g t o some studies identifying the health risks caused by the chemical leaching from the plastic (when heated, in the case of baby products). While it was invented in 1891, BPA’s toxicity was only established about 40 years later when it was discovered to be an artificial oestrogen. Yet, in the 1940s and 1950s, the chemicals industry synthesised BPA for use in plastics. Since then, the debate o n s a f e t y o f B PA h a s As safety concerns skirt around BPA, some studies made the rounds, many question claims that BPAtimes tempered but never free solutions are safer completely dying down alternatives even though regulatory agencies like the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presumed it safe until adequate findings on the dangers of BPA to humans have been established. Controversy continues on gender-bender plastic Considered an endocrine disruptor as it mimics oestrogen, BPA has earned a new moniker: the genderbender plastic chemical. In a latest strife, BPA has been linked to cancer and infertility risks in teenagers, in tests to determine effects of exposure to food contact materials containing BPA. Based on recent study findings by the UK’s University of Exeter researchers, BPA was found in more than 80% of specimens collected from 94 teenagers aged from 17-19.
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MARCH / APRIL 2018
They were believed to be exposed to the chemical from their diets and use of products c o n t a i n i n g B PA . Meanwhile, a host of other debilitating conditions are a s c r i b e d t o B PA exposure ranging from obesity and diabetes to cancers and heart diseases.
FDA has banned BPA-based materials in baby plastic bottles and sippy cups
More studies are taking place to either prove or debunk the association. Among the latest undertaking is that by a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine that has investigated the potential cardiac toxicity of BPA and its widely used, allegedly safer substitute, Bisphenol S (BPS) in PCs used for consumer products and how the chemical may impact human heart health. The study will be carried out on combined human cohort and large annual model. BPA toxicity findings are viewed as more horrific considering that it is being used in items for children. In 2017, findings from a five-month study conducted by Colorado-headquartered Clean Label Project on more than 500 baby food products across 60 brands sold in the US indicated traces of contaminants including BPA as well as arsenic, pesticide and other toxins. It claimed that 60% of supposedly BPA-free formulas were found positive for BPAs. The report, meanwhile, has both set off the alarm and been criticised by some consumers and some experts as inaccurate. With this regard, regulation to totally ban the use of BPA in baby products has been effected in some countries. While in other areas, where BPA’s safety has not been disputed, the so-called poison chemical continues to lurk cupboards, food shelves, and living quarters.