Thursday, October 14, 2010

Anti-BPA Victory!

The government of Canada formally declared bisphenol A, a chemical widely used to create clear, hard plastics, as well as food can liners, to be a toxic substance on Wednesday.

The compound, commonly known as BPA, has been shown to disrupt the hormone systems of animals and is under review in the United States and Europe.


This is why we rarely used canned things and no longer use plastic water bottles or cheap plastic Tupperware. We do have some nice plastic storage containers that are BPA free but I continue to refuse to warm them up. Even without BPA there are still probably pretty weird things in there that I would rather not help leech into my food. Especially while being pregnant. And I am registering for all BPA free kid stuff – teething rings, spoons, bowls, cups, nuks, etc.

It just baffles me that there can be something so potentially harmful used in so many ways without hesitation – maybe its cheaper to use, maybe its easier, who knows?! But if it is causing harm its significantly more expensive and harmful to humans in the long run due to medical costs so governments really should take note, even if only motivated by the potential future costs. But really, what if chemicals in plastics cause developmental changes in fetuses and infants and they end up with developmental disabilities? They then weigh on the system for the rest of their lives needing increased medical and school services. So… save some money in the long run and research our food and research what chemicals are in and around us and maybe everyone will be better off, no?! I don’t know. I could go on forever….

I encourage you to read this article (quoted in italics above) in the NY Times titled Canada Declares BPA, a Chemical in Plastics, to Be Toxic.

I'm glad to see some countries acknowledging it and am interested to see what this may spur...

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