10/10/2008
A common chemical used in everyday products such as plastic drink containers and baby bottles is linked to health problems, specifically heart disease and diabetes.
Previously, environmental and consumer activists who have questioned the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA, have relied on studies showing harm from exposure in laboratory animals.
The study, by researchers from University of Exeter in Britain, is the first ever study (of this kind) that has been in the general population. The researchers analysed urine and blood samples from 1,455 US adults aged between 18 and 74 who were representative of the general population.
Using government health data, they found that the 25 per cent of people with the highest levels of bisphenol A in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and, or diabetes compared to the 25 per cent of those with the lowest levels.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that the chemical is present in more than 90 per cent of people, suggesting there is not much that can be done to avoid the chemical of which over 2.2 million tonnes is produced each year.
However, they added it was too early to identify a mechanism through which the chemical may be doing harm. Animal studies have suggested the chemical may disrupt hormones, especially oestrogen.
BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastic, a clear shatter-resistant material in products ranging from baby and water bottles to plastic eating utensils to sports safety equipment and medical devices.
It is also used to make durable epoxy resins, for the coating in most food and beverage cans and in dental fillings. People can consume BPA when it leaches out of plastic into liquid such as baby formula, water or food inside a container.
0 comments:
Post a Comment