Toxic Substances and our Environment - Articles - Zimbio

BPA-A Dangerous Chemical You Are Probably Drinking Every Day

Tue, 15 Oct 2008 01:35:33 GMT

posted by BabyBoomerQueen

.shareDiv { float:right; margin:0px 0px 0px 18px; position:relative; top:-4px; } .shareEmail { background:transparent url(/images/mail-forward_zWhite.png) no-repeat scroll 3px 4px; padding:5px 5px 6px 25px; font-size:0.75em; font-weight:bold; display:block; }Scientists have finally discovered what might be causing the epidemic of heart disease and diabetes in this country.

BPA

If you live in America and eat any packaged foods at all, you are probably also consuming the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. Previous studies showed that BPA causes precancerous conditions, kidney and developmental problems in animals. But new research, published in the September 17th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that humans could be walking time bombs of health problems due to just “normal” exposures to BPA.

They have come to the conclusion that having BPA in your system at “normal levels,” can increase your risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, (angina, coronary heart disease, or heart attack combined) diabetes liver and kidney disease by 39%. That figure might be low compared to how much plastics we use.

This protential killer, BPA is coming from plastics. Plastic bottles, sippy cups, plastic wrap, plastic containers, the plastic that lines cans, such as tomato sauce and anything with acid acid. If you sit and think…we have a huge amount of those products in our homes right now.

If you are noticing…most all of the alerts that I send you, are not natural issues, something that nature made, but something that man in his ultimate wisdom and knowledge has made…like PLASTICS. Money is not the root of all evil…perhaps man is…?

Recent studies have shown that people with the highest BPA concentration had nearly three times the odds of heart disease and 2.4 times the risk of diabetes when compared with those with the lowest levels. Plus, higher levels of BPA concentrations were also associated with abnormally elevated levels of three liver enzymes. The liver as you know is the filter to our bodies.

SO, where is FDA when you need them? Probably having lunch with a pharmaceutical company…or trying to talk the American public into think that irradiating food is good for us…when it is NOT! Is anyone in Washington going to listen? They certainly haven’t in the past.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program released a report on the safety of the chemical and warned BPA could cause health and developmental problems.

As expected, warnings about BPA, have been hotly contested by plastic industry leaders. Much like the pharmaceutical industry, the plastics industry wants consumers to believe their chemicals are so safe that your children are safe with them. So, we need to be so vigilant about protecting ourselves and our children from plastic packaging.

Clearly, mainstream medicine is just now recognizing that the chemical contaminant is a real health concern.

Still…BPA production has reached about 7 billion pounds per year and the chemical has caused massive planetary CONTAMINATION. Why? Consider the fact that products containing BPA, like microwavable food containers, and water bottles often end up in landfills and dumped into water ecosystem.

Canada, in it’s ultimate wisdom, has declared the chemical to be a major worldwide pollutant. While we, the American public, have been waiting for years for the government to even acknowledge that BPA is a health hazard, it makes little sense to rely on the FDA to to protect us from the chemical.

Here Are Some Ways To Protect You and Your Family from BPA:

Avoid baby formula as much as possible.
Eat fresh, not canned, food.
The EWG has found that food and drink cans are lined with BPA laden plastic. Canned soups and spaghetti cans have the highest levels. Don’t buy them.
Pay attention to the kind of plastics you use for food and drink.
Don’t use plastic containers to heat food in microwaves.
Choose safe bottles.

The plastics that have the most BPA are those made of polycarbonate plastic, they are usually rigid and transparent and used for toddler cups, baby bottles, food storage containers and water bottles. They are marked on the bottom with the letters “PC” and the recycling number 7. Plastics with the recycling numbers 1, 2 and 4 on the bottom are better choices, so like reading the ingredients, flip that bottle over and look at the numbers. Sometimes the numbers are inside a recycle triangle.

Personally, I also have issue with plastic wrap. When you cover your food and place it in the microwave…and heat it…there must be gases and chemicals coming off the plastic wrap. The food heats, condensation forms, plastic heats, chemicals mix with condensation…drop right into your food. My new campaign is to get rid of the microwave and plastic. Easy and quick is not neccisarily what is good for you.

Remember, avoiding BPA doesn’t automatically protect your health. Consumer the dangers that are often inside the BPA laden containers. Some of the top infant formula products sold in the United States are contaminated with hexane residues, and many infant products are made with as much as 50 percent refined sugars and corn syrup solids. Pay as much attention to what’s inside the bottle as you do the bottle itself.

Special Note: According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non~profit organization comprised of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers who have been in the forefront of pointing out the potential health and environmental hazards of BPA, all U.S. manufacturers of formula use a BPA containing lining on the metal part of their containers. Opt for breastfeeding exclusively if possible, or use a dry formula that is mixed with filtered water.

I beg you…Please watch this video if you are going to have children or grandchildren…

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7942360246718074680&hl=en

~The Baby Boomer Queen~

CamelBak BPA-Free Better Water Bottle

Wed, 11 Sep 2008 07:54:00 GMT

posted by thailandculture

The CamelBak Better Bottle represents a new standard of performance and convenience in re-usable water bottles. Available in multiple colors and in three sizes--1 liter, 0.75 liter, and 0.5 liter--this innovative bottle is also BPA- and Phthalate-free. The bottle's integrated handle makes it easy to carry with the crook of a finger or clip to a backpack with a carabiner. CamelBak's Big Bite Valve offers a proven design that contains no moving parts--just bite and sip for easy hydration. The cap fits most other bottles and the Better Bottle attaches to most water filters and fits in most cup holders. It's dishwasher safe.

What is BPA?
Bisphenol-A is an ingredient used to make polycarbonate. In recent months, there has been increasing consumer demand for a bottle that is not made with Bisphenol-A (BPA), and CamelBak is proud to introduce BPA-free bottles with the same great properties customers have come to expect from polycarbonate: vibrant color, clarity, durability, dishwasher-safe, and with no residual taste. As of the end of April 2008, the entire CamelBak bottle line will be available in BPA-Free materials in North America.

What are phthalates?
Phthalates (pronounced thal-ates) are a component added to some plastics to make them soft and pliable. None of CamelBak's bottles have ever contained phthalates.

What is the BPA-free Better Bottle made from?
The CamelBak Better Bottle line is made from a new copolyester polymer called Tritan, made by Eastman. It offers the same great qualities that we have come to expect from polycarbonate bottles and is 100 percent BPA-Free. The Big Bite Valve is made of medical-grade silicone for long life and taste-free performance.

About CamelBak
CamelBak is the originator and world leader in hands-free hydration systems. The first CamelBak products proved to be very popular among mountain bikers and motocross riders, because it allowed them to drink without taking their hands off of the handlebars in technical terrain. The product began to cross over into other sports when scientific studies showed athletes drank more fluids and performed better when they wore a CamelBak. Since then, athletes from an ever-growing list of sports and activities use CamelBak hydration systems for their convenience and performance benefits.

In addition to cycling, CamelBak has Hands-Free Hydration systems for hiking, running, snowboarding and skiing. CamelBak’s state-of-the-art packs and hydration systems have benefited athletes, outdoorsmen, and soldiers around the world. While CamelBak has grown tremendously since the early days, one thing hasn't changed: CamelBak still believes in the performance advantage that proper hydration delivers for just about any activity. The privately-held company is headquartered in Petaluma, California.

Mind your BPA's

Wed, 24 Jul 2008 15:02:28 GMT

posted by scubajared

For years and years we’ve had and used products that are made from or contain Bisphenol A and it is still currently being used in various ways. It is a main monomer, a small molecule that can become chemically bonded to other monomers forming a polymer, in the production of the clear polycarbonate plastic commonly used to make baby and water bottles.

Bisphenol A has been known to leach from the plastic lining of canned foods and some polycarbonate plastics cleaned with harsh detergents or those containing acidic or high-temperature liquids.

There are seven classes of plastics used in packaging but types 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (polypropylene) and 6 (polystyrene) do not use Bisphenol A in packaging and will not leach Bisphenol A into foods or beverages.
Perfect for walking or hiking this 24 oz. polycarbonate bottle is BPA free, trimmed with stainless steel on top and bottom with a comfort grip, matching detachable fabric strap and screw-on stainless steel lid!

Promotional BPA Free sports Bottle - as low as $5.00

ExxonMobil fined by the EPA over PCB release

Mon, 14 Oct 2008 14:13:05 GMT

posted by digitalje5u5

ExxonMobil will pay a fine of $2.64 million to the Environmental Protection Agency for disposing of and improperly handling polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on an offshore oil and gas platform in the Santa Barbara Channel, off the Southern California coast. This was a violation of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. Wayne Nastri, administrator for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region, observed:

Today’s settlement sends a clear signal that companies must follow PCB regulations to protect communities and our environmental resources. The EPA will not hesitate to take enforcement actions against companies that fail to properly handle and dispose of PCBs.

Between 2002 and 2005, two large electrical transformers located on Platform Hondo, part of Exxon’s Santa Ynez Unit, leaked nearly 400 gallons of PCB-contaminated fluid. It was reported that Exxon allowed one of the transformers to leak for almost two years before repairing it. The leaking from the transformers constitutes illegal disposal of PCBs, a violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Additionally, Exxon failed to ensure that workers who cleaned up the leaked fluid were provided protective clothing or equipment to protect against direct contact with and inhalation of PCBs. Exxon replaced the two transformers with non-PCB containing transformers in 2005.

We learned a great deal about PCBs, which are man-made organic chemicals, in our Monsanto case. PCBs are used in paints, industrial equipment, plastics, and cooling oil for electrical transformers. More than 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the United States before the EPA banned the production of this chemical class in 1978, and many PCB-containing materials are still in use today. When released into the environment, PCBs remain for decades. Tests have shown that PCBs cause cancer in animals and are suspected carcinogens in humans. Acute PCB exposure can also adversely affect the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems as well as liver function. Concerns about human health and the extensive presence and lengthy persistence of PCBs in the environment led Congress to enact the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1976. For more information on PCB regulation and enforcement, as well as the Toxic Substances Control Act enforcement in general, you can visit the EPA’s website at:
www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/pcb/ or www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/tsca/index.html.

Source: EPA News Release

BPA Bunk

Tue, 20 Aug 2008 00:18:00 GMT

posted by svuocolo
For those of you with children, you'll want to listen up. Your kids are in serious danger....or are they?
Apparently, a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) is leeching out of the plastics in your toddler's bottles, nipples, and other feeding apparatus and causing undue bodily harm. What harm you ask? Well....we don't really know. All we know is that the chemical likely has the potential to interact with the endocrine system. For those of you that just scratched your head - that's the organ system that produces those wonderful hormones which turn normal 16 year olds into those kids from the American Pie movies (among other things).
Recently, retailers in the US and Canada (Wal-Mart, Babies-R-Us, etc.) have seen fit to rid their shelves of BPA-'laced' goods. The impetus for this move comes from research on BPA in mice; some of it from as far back as the 1930s. Some of these studies suggested that large doses of the chemical, when injected directly into the mouse (not ingested as would be the case with your rugrats), caused changes in testestosterone levels and prostate size, as well as "decreased maternal behaviors". To date, there are no studies of the chemical's effects in actual humans. What's more, BPA is not exactly rare. Several studies have independently shown that it can be found in the urine of roughly 93% adults and children. That means the chances are great that I have BPA in my body right now; and the last time I checked, my prostate was just fine. While politicians and regulators here in North America have jumped all over the chemical companies about BPA, things are a bit different overseas.
The governments of Japan and Germany (no jokes, please), as well as the entire European Union have reviewed the findings on BPA and have determined that the use of plastics containg the chemical is safe. What's more, the EU's Food Safety Authority expressed "considerable reservations" about the significance and robustness of the data to date in rodents.
We all want to do all we can to make sure our children are safe, but the fear mongers are working overtime here. That being said, don't be surprised if we soon see advertisements in which manufacturers deem their products BPA-free, and tout them as the only "safe option". You may even be lectured by a talking-head doctor in the commercial (bonus points if you remember who Robert Jarvik is).
Bottom line: your kids may be in danger due to BPA, however it is far more likely that the only thing in peril is the stock price of the company that makes your youngster's bottles.
For facts about BPA, click here.