(Hartford, CT) The toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) leaches from plastic baby bottles when heated according to a new study released today by environmental health organizations in the U.S. and Canada. The CT Legislature is looking to pass legislation this year, known as the toxic toy bill, which would replace toxic chemicals like BPA with safer alternatives where feasible in children’s products. Advocates and parents are calling for CT to take the lead to better protect Connecticut’s children from toxic chemicals in common household goods. Nationally, dozens of groups are calling for an immediate moratorium on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles and other food and beverage containers in the wake of the study’s results.
Results of the study, “Baby's Toxic Bottle: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular Baby Bottles,” commissioned by Environmental Defense of Canada and researched by the laboratory of Frederick vom Saal, PhD., at the University of Missouri, contribute to a growing body of evidence that calls for immediate protective action to reduce public exposure to BPA, especially for infants and children.
“Animal studies provide strong evidence of a range of health damage linked to bisphenol A exposure, including breast cancer and other diseases,” said Laura Vandenberg, PhD, Forsyth Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. “This is the same kind of evidence that initially raised a red flag for scientists around the safety of diethylstilbestrol (DES), now banned.”
BPA, a synthetic sex hormone that mimics estrogen, is used to make hard polycarbonate plastic. Ninety-five percent of all baby bottles on the market are made with BPA. The results of the U.S. study show that, when new bottles are heated, those manufactured by Avent, Evenflo, Dr. Brown’s and Disney/First Years leached between 4.7 – 8.3 parts per billion of BPA. Recent research on animals shows that BPA can be harmful by disrupting development at doses below these levels.
Some of the baby bottles tested for the study were bought in New Britain, CT.
Studies conducted on laboratory animals and cell cultures have linked low doses of BPA to obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer and other illnesses. BPA exposure is widespread and has been found in 95% of Americans tested. Scientists, physicians, and public health professionals suspect that existing scientific evidence on BPA indicates a real risk to human health.
“As parents, we can obviously look for safer products, including plastic baby bottles made without BPA or glass baby bottles,” said Chris Marolda, Berlin resident and father of two. “But the problem is broader than that and we need comprehensive solutions including new laws and an immediate moratorium on BPA, especially in products marketed to children.”
“We know that children are most vulnerable to toxic chemicals early in life as their neurological system and organs are still developing," said Annamarie Beaulieu, mother and spokesperson for Connecticut Public Health Association. "Prevention is key in keeping our children safe from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals. Preventive actions, including the elimination of children's products containing toxic chemicals, are necessary during this critical period of a child's development."
There are no existing safety standards regulating BPA under U.S. laws, even for products used by infants and young children. Connecticut is one of nine states that have introduced legislation that would restrict the use of toxic chemicals like BPA in everyday products. Last week, the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act for a Healthy Massachusetts: Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals. Now before the House of Representatives, the bill would replace toxic chemicals like BPA with safer alternatives where feasible.
“BPA is known to change more than 200 human genes. Any know toxic chemical that does that, and has known safer alternative, should not be on the market,” said Dr. Mark Mitchell, President of the CT Coalition for Environmental Justice.
Senator Ed Meyer, Co-Chairman of the Environment Committee of the CT General Assembly says CT will be acting as well. “It is the priority of the Environment Committee this year to remove of toxic chemicals in children products.”
"Toxics such as BPA in toys is a perfect example of how our federal regulatory system is broken and states such as CT now need to take the lead,” stated Phil Sherwood, Legislative Director of the CT Citizen Action Group. “We also need to know how toxics are being used, and which products contain them, and we need to require that safer alternatives be used whenever feasible."
In addition to baby bottles, BPA is used to make hard plastic used in some toddler sippy cups, polycarbonate water bottles such as some Nalgene bottles, dental sealants, and the linings of many food and beverage cans, including all infant formulas. Patagonia and Whole Foods have stopped selling products containing BPA.
The full study, “Baby's Toxic Bottle: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular Baby Bottles,” is available to download for free on the website www.babystoxicbottle.org. The Canadian version of the study is available at www.toxicnation.com.
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The U.S. version of “Baby’s Toxic Bottle” was written by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, and Clean Water Action, in collaboration with Environmental Defense, and released in the U.S. by a broad coalition of public health and environmental non-governmental organizations including: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Boston Common Asset Management, Breast Cancer Fund, Center for Health, Environment and Justice, Clean New York, Clean Water Action, Environment America, Environmental Health Fund, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Healthy Legacy, Learning Disabilities Association of America, MOMS (Making Our Milk Safe), Oregon Environmental Council, and US PIRG.
