Health News The Concern About Bisphenol A Invented more than 100 years ago, bisphenol A (BPA) is a hard plastic that is found in polycarbonate baby bottles, the lining of canned foods, and containers such as water cooler jugs and Nalgene bottles. 
Typically referred to as “PC” plastic, bisphenol A has been found to mimic estrogen. Once in the body, it sends mixed messages to the endocrine system, possibly causing reproductive, immune, and neurological complications, especially if one is exposed to it in the womb or as a small child. Ana M. Soto, M.D., a professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology at the Tufts University School of Medicine, has been studying estrogen imitators such as bisphenol A for more than 16 years. One study she conducted resulted in lab mice and rats showing altered behavior and menstrual cycles and an increase in prostate cancer, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes when exposed to BPA at levels similar to those currently found in humans. “It’s time to start looking in the mirror because these are people problems, too,” says Dr. Soto. Recent studies on the correlation between bisphenol A and DES, a drug prescribed to pregnant women starting in the 1940’s to prevent miscarriages, show associations with cancer in the daughters of women who took DES while pregnant. Although bisphenol A did not negatively affect the pregnant women themselves, the unborn children bear the consequences. This research suggests that even the slightest exposure might increase the probability of developing cancer later in life. Though research continues, for the time being environmental health advocates recommend avoiding canned food and hard, clear plastic bottles, particularly if they are showing signs of wear. The older the containers are, the more BPA they leach. If you’re unsure a plastic product is made of BPA, check the bottom of the container for the recycling code. If it says “PC,” you know to stay away. —Erin Nickel
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