BPA hazard a myth?

[abracadabra]

In the piece in the National Review the author claims studies do not justify that the BPA used to make #7 plastic clear is a health hazard.

http://article.nationalreview.com/430535/the-bpa-myth/iain-murray?page=1

I thought I would post it here for others to consider, especially if you have #7 water jugs that you are concerned about using.

Cheers

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

BPA is very dangerous and is toxic. they have known the effects of it since they sythesized it in the 1930's. BPA is a endocrine disrupter and mimicks estrogen in the body, in both men and women. Several countries, including Canada, have banned its use.

to name a few, BPA adversely effects:

Reproductive system and sexual behavior researchA series of studies made in 2009 found:

Mouse ovary anomalies from exposure as low as 1 µg/kg, concluded that BPA exposure causes long-term adverse reproductive and carcinogenic effects if exposure occurs during prenatal critical periods of differentiation.[82]
Neonatal exposure of as low as 50 µg/kg disrupts ovarian development in mice.[83][84][85]
Neonatal BPA exposition of as low as 50 µg/kg permanently alters the hypothalamic estrogen-dependent mechanisms that govern sexual behavior in the adult female rat.[86]
Prenatal exposure to BPA at levels of (10 μg/kg/day) affects behavioral sexual differentiation in male monkeys.[87]
In placental JEG3 cells in vitro BPA may reduce estrogen synthesis.[88]
BPA exposure disrupted the blood-testis barrier when administered to immature, but not to adult, rats.[89]
Exposure to BPA in the workplace was associated with self-reported adult male sexual dysfunction.[90]
A rodent study, funded by EPA and conducted by some of its scientists, concluded that, compared with ethinyl estradiol, low-dose exposures of bisphenol A (BPA) showed no effects on several reproductive functions and behavioral activities measured in female rats.[91] That study was criticized as flawed for using polycarbonate cages in the experiment (since polycarbonate contains BPA) and the claimed resistance of the rats to estradiol,[92] but that claim was contested by the authors and others.[93]
A 2010 study with mice concluded that BPA exposure in utero leads to permanent DNA alterations in sensitivity to estrogen.


this is not discounting prostate cancer in men, breast cancer in women, interfereing with thyroid function, infant brain development and function...the list goes on and on. like i said, this disruptive side of BPA has been known since the 30's.

i have a 2 year old son and have been researching this for the last 3-4 years.

just google "bisphenol a adverse effects" under google Scholar and hundreds of medical studies pop up.

 

[ArcaneXor]

In the piece in the National Review the author claims studies do not justify that the BPA used to make #7 plastic clear is a health hazard.

http://article.nationalreview.com/430535/the-bpa-myth/iain-murray?page=1

I thought I would post it here for others to consider, especially if you have #7 water jugs that you are concerned about using.

Cheers

The National Review is hardly a credible source for science reporting.

 

[theredben]

Several countries, including Canada, have banned its use.

NOT TRUE!! Don't drag The Great White North into this! This is the kind of fear mongering that gives enviromentalists a bad name. Canada has banned BPA in baby bottles and a few items associated with contact with infants. If you are pregnant or have very young children it would probably be best to avoid most plastics just to be safe, but otherswise BPA is extremely safe.

12 hours for elimination from the system is pretty safe. If you are concerned you should be avoiding plastics in general, most of the compunds in plastics have not been studied long-term.

 

[Scallywag]

This is the kind of fear mongering that gives enviromentalists a bad name.

Well said.

As a conservative environmentalist i feel if we didn't pick and choose the facts, the green movement would be father ahead than it is today. It's also a shame that as soon as people discover I'm concerned about the environment, they assume I'm a Democrat.

 

[itsme6582]

There have been so many studies done with BPA, dating back decades. One study states it's fine, the next states it's going to be the end of us all. The lack of proof that it is unhealthy is hardly proof that it is healthy. Although, this is reassuring enough for me not to worry about it. I also think that most bottling companies are steering away from BPA products because of the stigma. I think all the beer we drink would pose a greater health risk than the container our water or pop is stored in... I think I'll have a beer before bed.

 

[arturo7]

Code 7 is the designation for "other." It can be any plastic that isn't designated in codes 1-6, or something that is made with more that one type of plastic.

When you see this code on a bottle, the bottle is usually polycarbonate, or polycarbonate plus one or more other plastics.

BPA can be used in the production of polycarbonate, but not all polycarbonate is made with BPA. Due to the negative press, the industry is trending away from it's use.

When you have a bottle with a number 7 code, it is nearly impossible to determine if the plastic contains BPA. You would need to know who made the bottle, when it was made, and which lot of material was used to make it.

cheers

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

NOT TRUE!! Don't drag The Great White North into this! This is the kind of fear mongering that gives enviromentalists a bad name. Canada has banned BPA in baby bottles and a few items associated with contact with infants. If you are pregnant or have very young children it would probably be best to avoid most plastics just to be safe, but otherswise BPA is extremely safe.

12 hours for elimination from the system is pretty safe. If you are concerned you should be avoiding plastics in general, most of the compunds in plastics have not been studied long-term.

sorry, i should have said, "canada has already decalred it toxic"

http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2010/2010-10-13/html/sor-dors194-eng.html

however, this is hardly fear mongering. It is the reality of the situation, cancer and endrine disruption.

What Does the Research Say About BPA?
Of 115 published animal studies, 81 percent found significant effects from even low-level exposure to BPA.

This toxic chemical, an endocrine disrupter, first caught researchers' attention after normal mice began to display uncommon genetic abnormalities. The defects were linked to plastic cages and water bottles that had been cleaned with a harsh detergent, causing BPA to leach out of the plastic.

After determining how much BPA the mice had been exposed to, the researchers realized even an extremely small dose of 20 parts per billion daily, for just five to seven days, was enough to produce effects.

Some of the greatest concern surrounds early-life exposure to BPA, which can lead to chromosomal errors in the developing fetus, triggering spontaneous miscarriages and genetic damage. And being exposed to just 0.23 parts per billion of BPA is enough to disrupt the effect of estrogen in a baby's developing brain.

For this reason, women of childbearing age and those who are pregnant should be especially diligent at avoiding BPA, but practically no one is immune. One recent study found the chemical can lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems in adults, and previous research has linked BPA to:

-Structural damage to your brain
-Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
-Increased fat formation and risk of obesity
-Altered immune function
-Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
-Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior
-Stimulation of prostate cancer cells
-Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
-Diabetes
-Heart disease
-Liver damage

source:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/02/canada-declares-bpa-toxic-as-first-step-in-bpa-regulation.aspx

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

, it is nearly impossible to determine if the plastic contains BPA. You would need to know who made the bottle, when it was made, and which lot of material was used to make it.

cheers

BPA is in nearly everything plastic. BPA is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world. It is used to harden plastic in everything from infant and water bottles to mobile phone and computer casings, and also to make linings for cans of food, beverages and infant formula.

The Independent surveyed manufacturers General Mills, Heinz, Spam, Asda, Baxters, John West, Princes, Premier Foods, Sainsburys and Tesco about the use of BPA in the liners of several of their canned food products. Together, the 20 products represented account for £921 million ($1.4 billion) in sales, or 43 percent of the total for all canned food sold in the United Kingdom.

it is in thermal paper receipts
http://www.infowars.com/scientific-study-finds-40-of-all-store-receipts-covered-in-dangerous-hormone-disrupting-chemical/

residue finds its way onto money
http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/08/dirty-money-traces-of-bpa-found-on-currency/

dental sealants
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/oralcare/2010-09-07-dental07_st_N.htm

 

[FireDancer]

I'll accept that BPA can be very dangerous, however so can beer.

By the way. Our earthquake weather is fine today.

 

[Mermaid]

My grandmother lived to 84, smoking a few cigarettes a day, ate plenty of red meat and pasta, and didn't exercise. She also regularly enjoyed her alcoholic beverages in moderation. It was a hereditary disease that ultimately did her in.

I think I can take a chance on a few BPAs rearranging my DNA (I'm beyond my reproductive years at this point so having mutant DNA is not really a concern).

Much safer bet IMHO than the risk of dropping a 5 gallon glass carboy on the floor and severing an artery in the process.

I love my "better bottles", take good care of them, replace them when needed.

(Just don't tell my mom, she's a member of the tinfoil hat brigade and thinks the government controls the weather)

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

BPA itself is probably pretty dangerous. I'd say the amount leached into anything it comes in contact with and the amount consumed is not. Are you eating your plastic containers after consuming the beverage inside? Are you snorting straight BPA? Then you should worry. If not, breathing the air in many urban areas would likely be more dangerous.

 

[BierMuncher]

Limit discussion and debate to the topic.

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

BPA itself is probably pretty dangerous. I'd say the amount leached into anything it comes in contact with and the amount consumed is not. Are you eating your plastic containers after consuming the beverage inside? Are you snorting straight BPA? Then you should worry. If not, breathing the air in many urban areas would likely be more dangerous.

i quote myself quoting this article:

"Biomonitoring surveys by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found BPA in the bodies of a stunning 93% of all Americans over the age of 6. Interestingly, in light of the recent findings with paper receipts, EWG analysis of the CDC data has found that people who reported working in retail industries had 30 percent more BPA in their bodies than the average U.S. adult, and 34 percent more BPA than other workers.

http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/BisphenolA_FactSheet.html

 

[kaiser423]

As far as I can tell, the issue isn't per se *directly* with BPA. In fact, after a quick rinse and a couple of drinks later, most "BPA" water bottles have leached out most of their BPA, and you're probably way below the threshold that is considered safe.

The biggest problem was thath when they checked BPA levels in people, it was much, much higher than expected. So either, we were ingesting more BPA or it was staying in our bodies than expected. Something with the science was wrong, so some people put out the alarm and it just blew up from there.

I try to stay away from BPA's some, but don't make it a big deal.

 

[edecambra]

I Just bought my first better bottle about a month ago, after a visit to the emergency room and several stitches in my foot. I was really concerned with plastics and would like to avoid them as much as possible, but I get chills any time I pick up a glass carboy just imagining all the nasty possibilities that could happen.

I am justifying it by not fermenting for extended periods in the bottle, and not heating in plastics. I guess you should just do what you are most comfortable with.

The thing that upsets me the most is when potential dangers exist in chemicals and companies do their damnedest to hide findings to avoid increased costs, at the consumer's expense/health.

And redcoat, I commend you on trying to keep your kids safe during their major developmental years. Make sure not expose them to cell phones, seriously.

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

I Just bought my first better bottle about a month ago, after a visit to the emergency room and several stitches in my foot. I was really concerned with plastics and would like to avoid them as much as possible, but I get chills any time I pick up a glass carboy just imagining all the nasty possibilities that could happen.

I am justifying it by not fermenting for extended periods in the bottle, and not heating in plastics. I guess you should just do what you are most comfortable with.

The thing that upsets me the most is when potential dangers exist in chemicals and companies do their damnedest to hide findings to avoid increased costs, at the consumer's expense/health.

And redcoat, I commend you on trying to keep your kids safe during their major developmental years. Make sure not expose them to cell phones, seriously.

i do know that heat makes plastics leeech faster or larger amounts of substances but i don't know how much of a difference there is between hot and cold storage, but i would agree that limiting the contact time and keeping cool temps would be best.

it bothers me as well that the industries have no concern for the public and Federal health regulators cater to the industries. they have known the effects of BPA since the 1930's.

i appreciate it and i am aware of the dangers of cell phone use.

 

[HoosierKnob]

Hey everyone,

I'm about to get into all-grain brewing. Because I'll be using a cooler as a mash tun, I wondered about whether the plastic used in such coolers was BPA free. From looking through threads here, I couldn't find any conclusive statements. So I tweeted at Igloo coolers and they responded that all Igloo products are BPA-free. In fact, they seem to be aware of homebrewers' use of their products, as this was their reply:

@IglooProducts: All of our products are BPA-free! Igloo Coolers are great for homebrewing.

So there ya go. If you're not sure if your cooler is BPA free, you could also check the recycling number. From some other research I did online, it looks like BPA is only found in Number 3 and Number 7 plastics (but don't quote me on that).

Hope this helps.
Dave