Is it safe to use hard plastic bottles again?

Scientists aren't in agreement yet. This past week the FDA using controversial industry-funded studies concluded that plastic bottles are safe because only a trace amount of the hormone-mimicking chemical bisphenol A leaches out of food containers such as baby bottles, hard plastic bottles, and canned food containers (including baby formula cans). Some research groups say the FDA used flawed research and they believe BPA poses a health hazard even in small amounts. One of the few research groups that defended the safety of the BPA in plastics is the American Chemistry Council who argue that BPA is safe because the NIH found no "serious or high-level concerns for human health." 

That statement by the American Chemistry Council makes me wonder, should those mid-level or low-level concerns for human health worry me? Could even a low-level concern for health mean that my children's health could be compromised by using plastics with BPA? If it is a low-level health concern, does that mean that their quality of life could change because of the effects of even trace amounts of BPA?

Obviously not everyone is in agreement on the safety of BPA. And plastics using BPA is a big and influential business. According to the The Associated Press, more that 6 billion pounds of bisphenol are produced in the U.S. each year by Dow Chemical, BASF, Bayer AG and other manufacturers.

Did the FDA give BPA a passing grade because of the pressures of the plastics industry? Are those who worry about the risks of low levels of BPA being paranoid? Who knows at this point. Because there is so much controversy on the topic, even though the FDA defends the safety of BPA, the choice for finding a safe plastic remains murky.  
Pete Myers, chief scientist for the Environmental Health Sciences, says, "It's ironic FDA would choose to ignore dozens of studies funded by (the National Institutes of Health) — this country's best scientists — and instead rely on flawed studies from industry," according to an article by the The Associated Press.   
Studies have been done on rats, but unfortunately there is little research on the effect of BPA on human health. BPA is everywhere, but the greatest exposure is through food and drink since it is most readily absorbed through food and drink containers. The dangers of BPA on children and fetuses could be higher since they may be able to absorb more of the chemical than adults. Evidently the recent report by the FDA ignored the warnings from the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) April draft report. This report concluded that animal studies show that even low doses of BPA can cause changes in behavior and the brain. The NTP is an office in the NIH. The NTP has no power to regulate BPA, but it's findings are used by other government agencies such as the FDA and EPA.  
As I mentioned in an earlier Momathon Blog post, an article in the Washington Post back in April this year states:

"A federal health agency (the NTP) acknowledged for the first time yesterday concerns that a chemical found in thousands of everyday products such as baby bottles and compact discs may cause cancer and other serious disorders.” 

 

 

  The wording of the reports makes it difficult for those of concerned parents who are not scientists to decide just what to do. In the same Washington Post article, Mike Shelby who oversaw the report on the effect of BPA on the animal studies comments:

"What we've got is a warning, a signal, of some concerns," said Mike Shelby, director of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, who oversaw the report. "We could not dismiss the possibility that similar or related effects might occur in humans."

  
Even if the FDA disagrees with the NTP warning, some politicians are listening to the warnings about BPA. Canada plans to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles and children's products. At least 11 states in the U.S. are considering bills to restrict the use of the chemical. With all the industry support backing use of BPA, banning the chemical and/or finding alternatives will not be an easy task. 
  Are the benefits of hard plastics with BPA worth the risks? I'm not convinced because we do have plenty of alternatives in BPA-free plastics and even glass. Of course these products may not be as convenient or attractive, but they are safe. To read about BPA alternatives, check out a previous  Momathon post.
  So what should families do? Two words, "some concern," that ironically appear in the FDA report as stated in the Seattle Times Newspaper, seal the deal for me:

"The FDA previously declared the chemical safe but agreed to revisit that opinion after a report by the federal National Toxicology Program said there was "some concern" about its risks to infants." 

For more information, see related posts on this topic

Momathon Blog: Are Water Bottles Dangerous?
Momathon Blog: Update: Are Plastic Bottles Safe?