Canada looks to ban bisphenol-A, babies cheer
When I was young, we'd spend evenings sitting in our darkened living room eight inches away from the TV while the folks smoked and the kids scarfed down hunks of lead-based paint. And fun as it was, it's nice to see people nowadays taking a little more interest in what we put into our bodies and our environment.
In a move calculated to help both children and grown-ups, Canada is planning to label Bisphenol-A a "dangerous substance". BPA is a chemical compound used in polycarbonate, a shatter-proof, glass-like plastic used to make water bottles and food containers, as well as a whole range of baby feeding products like bottles, cups, pacifiers, and utensils.
BPA has been linked to a variety of health issues, including cancer and birth defects, although it hasn't been conclusively proven that the tiny quantities contained in individual consumer products are dangerous. However, the sheer ubiquity of plastic means that B PA builds up in our water supply and food chain, and tests have shown that most Americans carry trace amounts in their bloodstream.
BPA also mimics the female hormone estrogen, putting in the class of chemicals sometimes called "gender-benders" . It's these substances, escaped from our dishwasher into our water supply, that are believed to be responsible for a variety of birth defects, including feminizing male fetuses in the womb, and even turning them into girls.
Although the Canadian government action doesn't have any immediate effect on the use of BPA, it will open the door to declaring it toxic, which could lead to a ban. Regardless, the move will put pressure on US and European health authorities to take similar action.
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