Bisphenol A
Should BPA Be Banned From Consumer Products? Photos courtesy of thegoldenspiral.org
Introduction to BPA
BPA; also known as Bisphenol A, is a chemical that was developed in the late 1800’s but was discovered in 1950 that it can be used to make plastics. It is used in many things such as; bottles, toys, medical equipment, CD’s, cell phones, dental sealants and consumer electronics. It was also an ingredient in epoxy resins that are used in lining cans for food, adhesives and industrial protective coatings. (Marchese, 2011)
According to the U.S. EPA’s research, the maximum daily exposure rate is 50mg/ per day. (EPA, 2012) This is the threshold where cell death will occur if exceeded. Bisphenol A is known to have …show more content…
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and while they still believe that more testing should be done; they are encouraging companies to take reasonable measures to reduce exposure of BPA to infants via the food supply. (Oderwald, 2012) Some companies have made statements that they will start phasing out the use as soon as a suitable alternative is available and some do not agree with the science and believe that BPA should not be regulated.
There is more than 8 billion pounds of BPA that is produced each year. Since this is one of the world’s most heavily used chemicals, we should take a hard look at the safety of this chemical. (Betts, 2010) Especially since 90% of the U.S. is not only exposed to BPA on a daily basis, but when tested, detectable levels are found in the bloodstream. (Marchese, 2011) Today, there is still some debate as to the safety of this chemical despite it being used daily. No matter what the debates are, when it comes to safety, even the slightest possibility that there could be harm warrants …show more content…
(Marchese, 2011) We will not be free of this material until we can find an alternative that is not as toxic. There are serious concerns with using this material, I know that people complain that it will be more costly, but safety of the public really should outweigh cost. There is significant research showing the teratogenic effects and even if it was only proved in animals, it should still warrant some regulation. Alarms should go off, given that 95% has it in their bloodstream, that this is definitely something to take a closer look
Introduction to BPA
BPA; also known as Bisphenol A, is a chemical that was developed in the late 1800’s but was discovered in 1950 that it can be used to make plastics. It is used in many things such as; bottles, toys, medical equipment, CD’s, cell phones, dental sealants and consumer electronics. It was also an ingredient in epoxy resins that are used in lining cans for food, adhesives and industrial protective coatings. (Marchese, 2011)
According to the U.S. EPA’s research, the maximum daily exposure rate is 50mg/ per day. (EPA, 2012) This is the threshold where cell death will occur if exceeded. Bisphenol A is known to have …show more content…
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and while they still believe that more testing should be done; they are encouraging companies to take reasonable measures to reduce exposure of BPA to infants via the food supply. (Oderwald, 2012) Some companies have made statements that they will start phasing out the use as soon as a suitable alternative is available and some do not agree with the science and believe that BPA should not be regulated.
There is more than 8 billion pounds of BPA that is produced each year. Since this is one of the world’s most heavily used chemicals, we should take a hard look at the safety of this chemical. (Betts, 2010) Especially since 90% of the U.S. is not only exposed to BPA on a daily basis, but when tested, detectable levels are found in the bloodstream. (Marchese, 2011) Today, there is still some debate as to the safety of this chemical despite it being used daily. No matter what the debates are, when it comes to safety, even the slightest possibility that there could be harm warrants …show more content…
(Marchese, 2011) We will not be free of this material until we can find an alternative that is not as toxic. There are serious concerns with using this material, I know that people complain that it will be more costly, but safety of the public really should outweigh cost. There is significant research showing the teratogenic effects and even if it was only proved in animals, it should still warrant some regulation. Alarms should go off, given that 95% has it in their bloodstream, that this is definitely something to take a closer look