|Environment | spring 2009
Canada has already banned the plastic additive BPA—so why hasn’t the U.S.?
BY REBECCA CLARREN
THE LABEL OF YOUR FAVORITE
soup pledges superhealthy
contents: organic, low-fat and
free of nonhydrogenated oils. But
look again: The soup’s can or plastic
tub itself may be toxic.
Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used
to harden plastics, is ubiquitous, showing up in baby bottles, the lining of
canned foods and beverages, dental
sealants, water bottles and thousands
of other household products. BPA,
which mimics some hormones, can
leach into food and water. At even tiny
amounts it can trigger cell changes that
may be devastating over time. Studies
have found that exposure to BPA increases the risk of breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, infertility and, in
infants, adverse developmental and
neurological effects. And most of us
have been exposed: Ninety-three percent of the more than 2,500 adults and
children tested by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in
2003 and 2004 had BPA in their urine.
Last year, Canada banned BPA from
baby bottles. But in August, the Bush
administration-run FDA ruled that
current levels of BPA exposure posed
no health risk. The assessment ignored
approximately 250 independent studies, including those conducted by the
Centers for Disease Control and the
National Institutes of Health, relying
instead on two industry-financed studies. Large portions of the FDA’s assessment contained the same language as
reports written by companies that
use BPA in their products. Furthermore, the FDA panel’s chair, Martin
Philbert, had just months before received a $5 million donation to his research center from a former medicalsupply manufacturer who had spent
years fighting government regulation
of pollutants and who is a vocal supporter of BPA.
Consumer and environmental
groups hope that the Obama administration—which chose former New
York health commissioner Margaret
Hamburg as the new FDA head— might follow Canada’s lead, especially in light of research published in January in Environmental Health Perspectives finding that BPA stays in the body
much longer than previously thought.
That allows it more time to damage
cells, increasing the risk of disease. So
far, however, the FDA has not overturned its controversial ruling: In early
December, it announced it would instead invest in further study.
“It’s so egregious; the FDA is leaving consumers to be the continual
guinea pigs of BPA exposure,” says
Urvashi Rangan, a Consumers Union
senior scientist. “The FDA continues
to stand by a 20-year-old standard
that is not based in the current understanding of science. In terms of taking steps to protect public health,
they’re asleep at the wheel.”
In lieu of agency action, politicians
are attempting a partial ban of BPA.
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Sen.
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen.
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced
legislation this spring to outlaw BPA in
food and beverage containers. At least
19 states are also considering banning
the chemical from certain products
sold in their jurisdictions.
In the meantime, concerned consumers can look for an increasing
number of toys, water bottles and children’s products labeled BPA-free. To
avoid the BPA-laden resin inside most
cans, switch to buying frozen or fresh
vegetables (Eden Foods, an exception,
uses an alternative plant-based coating
on the inside of their canned beans).
Use powdered baby formula instead of
liquid. If you do use plastics, look for
those with recycling numbers 1, 2 or 5
and avoid numbers 3 (PVC) or 7 (polycarbonate). When heating foods, avoid
all plastics and stick to porcelain, glass
or stainless steel (I’m a fan of Pyrex). A
recent study indicates that BPA may
leach into plastic water pipes, so place
filters on your drinking-water taps.
The FDA may not be doing its job
yet, but as consumers and citizens, we
can do ours. Call your legislators;
urge them to get down to the hard
business of protecting our future.
REBECCA CLARREN, an investigative
journalist, is a 2009 Alicia Patterson
Foundation fellow. She writes for various
national magazines about environmental
health issues from Portland, Ore.