CHEMICAL LEACHING: When exposed to hot water, plastic bottles--including baby bottles--leach a chemical that is known to mimic estrogens in the body.
Image: COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
-
The Best Science Writing Online 2012
Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
Read More »
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous compound in plastics. First synthesized in 1891, the chemical has become a key building block of plastics from polycarbonate to polyester; in the U.S. alone more than 2.3 billion pounds (1.04 million metric tons) of the stuff is manufactured annually.
Since at least 1936 it has been known that BPA mimics estrogens, binding to the same receptors throughout the human body as natural female hormones. And tests have shown that the chemical can promote human breast cancer cell growth as well as decrease sperm count in rats, among other effects. These findings have raised questions about the potential health risks of BPA, especially in the wake of hosts of studies showing that it leaches from plastics and resins when they are exposed to hard use or high temperatures (as in microwaves or dishwashers).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found traces of BPA in nearly all of the urine samples it collected in 2004 as part of an effort to gauge the prevalence of various chemicals in the human body. It appeared at levels ranging from 33 to 80 nanograms (a nanogram is one billionth of a gram) per kilogram of body weight in any given day, levels 1,000 times lower than the 50 micrograms (one millionth of a gram) per kilogram of bodyweight per day considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Union's (E.U.) European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Studies suggest that BPA does not linger in the body for more than a few days because, once ingested, it is broken down into glucuronide, a waste product that is easily excreted. Yet, the CDC found glucuronide in most urine samples, suggesting constant exposure to it. "There is low-level exposure but regular low-level exposure," says chemist Steven Hentges, executive director of the polycarbonate / BPA global group of the American Chemistry Council. "It presumably is in our diet."
BPA is routinely used to line cans to prevent corrosion and food contamination; it also makes plastic cups and baby and other bottles transparent and shatterproof. When the polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins made from the chemical are exposed to hot liquids, BPA leaches out 55 times faster than it does under normal conditions, according to a new study by Scott Belcher, an endocrine biologist at the University of Cincinnati. "When we added boiling water [to bottles made from polycarbonate] and allowed it to cool, the rate [of leakage] was greatly increased," he says, to a level as high as 32 nanograms per hour.
A recent report in the journal Reproductive Toxicology found that humans must be exposed to levels of BPA at least 10 times what the EPA has deemed safe because of the amount of the chemical detected in tissue and blood samples. "If, as some evidence indicates, humans metabolize BPA more rapidly than rodents," wrote study author Laura Vandenberg, a developmental biologist at Tufts University in Boston, "then human daily exposure would have to be even higher to be sufficient to produce the levels observed in human serum."
The CDC data shows that 93 percent of 2,157 people between the ages of six and 85 tested had detectable levels of BPA's by-product in their urine. "Children had higher levels than adolescents and adolescents had higher levels than adults," says endocrinologist Retha Newbold of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who found that BPA impairs fertility in female mice. "In animals, BPA can cause permanent effects after very short periods of exposure. It doesn't have to remain in the body to have an effect."
But experts are split on the potential health hazards to humans. The Food and Drug Administration has approved its use and the EPA does not consider it cause for concern. One U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel agreed, but another team of government scientists last year found that the amount of BPA present in humans exceeds levels that have caused ill effects in animals. They also found that adults' ability to tolerate it does not preclude damaging effects in infants and children.
"It is the unborn baby and children that investigators are most worried about," Newbold says, noting that BPA was linked to increased breast and prostate cancer occurrences, altered menstrual cycles and diabetes in lab mice that were still developing.
Fred vom Saal, a reproductive biologist at the University of Missouri–Columbia, warns that babies likely face the "highest exposure" in human populations, because both baby bottles and infant formula cans likely leach BPA. "In animal studies, the levels that cause harm happen at 10 times below what is common in the U.S." says vom Saal, who also headed the NIH panel that concluded the chemical may pose risks to humans.
Amid growing concern, Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.) chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, has launched an investigation into BPA, sending letters last month to the FDA and seven manufacturers of infant products sold in the U.S. requesting information on any BPA safety tests as well as specific levels in the baby goods. The companies that make Similac, Earth's Best and Good Start have already responded, confirming that they coat the inside of their cans with BPA but that analyses did not detect it in the contents. They also emphasize that FDA has approved BPA for such use.
"Based on the studies reviewed by FDA, adverse effects occur in animals only at levels of BPA that are far higher orders of magnitude than those to which infants or adults are exposed," says FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek. "Therefore, FDA sees no reason to ban or otherwise restrict the uses now authorized at this time."
FDA first approved BPA as a food container in 1963 because no ill effects from its use had been shown. When Congress passed a law—the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976—mandating that the EPA conduct or review safety studies on new chemicals before giving them the nod, compounds like BPA were already on the market. Therefore, they were not subject to the new rules nor required to undergo additional testing unless specific concerns had been raised (such as in the case of PCBs). "The science that exists today supports the safety of BPA," ACC's Hentges says, based largely on research his organization has funded.
But other studies since 1976 have shown that small doses (less than one part per billion) of estrogenlike chemicals, such as BPA, may be damaging. "In fetal mouse prostate you can stimulate receptors with estradiol at about two tenths of a part per trillion, and with BPA at a thousand times higher," vom Saal says. "That's still 10 times lower than what a six-year-old has." In other words, children six years of age were found to have higher levels of BPA's by-product glucuronide in their urine than did mice dosed with the chemical that later developed cancer and other health issues.
Further complicating the issue is the stew of other estrogen-mimicking chemicals to which humans are routinely exposed, from soy to antibacterial ingredients in some soaps. The effects of such chemical mixtures are not known but scientists say they may serve to enhance the ill effects of one another. "The assumption that natural estrogens are somehow immediately good for you and these chemicals are immediately bad," Belcher says, "is probably not a reasonable assumption to make."
The chemical industry argues that unless BPA is proved to have ill effects it should continue to be manufactured and used, because it is cheap, lightweight, shatterproof and offers other features that are hard to match. "There is no alternative for either of those materials [polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins] that would simply drop in where those materials are used," Hentges says.
Not so, says vom Saal, who notes that there are plenty of other materials, such as polyethylene and polypropylene plastics, that would be fine substitutes in at least some applications. "There are a whole variety of different kinds of plastic materials and glass," he says. "They are all more stable than polycarbonate."
Concern over BPA is not confined only to the U.S. Japanese manufacturers began to use natural resin instead of BPA to line cans in 1997 after Japanese scientists showed that it was leaching out of baby bottles. A subsequent study there that measured levels in urine in 1999 found that they had dropped significantly.
A new E.U. law (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances, or REACH), which took effect last year, requires that chemicals, such as BPA, be proved safe. Currently, though, it continues to be used in Europe; the EFSA last year found no reason for alarm based on rodent studies. European scientists cited multigenerational rat studies as reassuring and noted that mouse studies may be flawed because the tiny rodent is more susceptible to estrogens.
For now, U.S. scientists with concerns about BPA recommend that anyone sharing those worries avoid using products made from it: Polycarbonate plastic is clear or colored and typically marked with a number 7 on the bottom, and canned foods such as soups can be purchased in cardboard cartons instead.
If canned goods or clear plastic bottles are a must, such containers should never be microwaved, used to store heated liquids or foods, or washed in hot water (either by hand or in much hotter dishwashers). "These are fantastic products and they work well … [but] based on my knowledge of the scientific data, there is reason for caution," Belcher says. "I have made a decision for myself not to use them."
See what we're tweeting about
51 Comments
Add CommentThis article, though very informative, begs many questions: does Reverse Osmosis Water leach BPA from plastic bottles, does ethyl alcohol leach BPA?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't drink bottle water or other drinks because of this. I haven't for years now.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI remember when this was a popular topic about four years ago and because of this, all the college students started using the Nalgene bottles. So are these Nalgene bottles any healthier than just re-using 20oz plastic bottles from sodas?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI AM still drinking from plastic bottles and I once drank hot water from the bottle. Got to be careful now..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am concerned about the little plastic trays or dishes used for frozen dinners. They are designed to be placed in microwaves with the frozed food still in them. Some people eat directly from the plastic tray and others transfer the food to a regular dish, Do these thing black "dishes" contain BPA?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI lap water up from puddles of rainwater, and eat tree moss for breakfast
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat happens to BPA in land fills? Does the heat generated from decomposition release harmful chemicals which then leach into the sedimentation tanks? Then what happens? If BPA is also high in Polyesters, does climate, sun and body heat stimulate the release of this chemical? Would this affect the wearer?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet's see. FDA and EPA say it's harmless. We've been drinking from plastic bottles with this material for over 100 years without breast cancer plagues sweeping the nation. Levels are 1000 times lower than risk levels, the body flushes it out on a regular basis.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut, some researcher looking for a grant and a headline says all of that doesn't matter and the supposedly educated people who read this website go into a panic.
My kid plays contact sports. What about those mouthguards they use?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSciAm should do a feature article on EDC's (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals) in general and BPA in particular. Would like to see a discussion of the so-called "U" shaped activity curve and what this means to the trditionally used safety factors derived from levels at which adverse effects were noted - usually not from chronic dosage studies?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFinally, what are the most likely effects on fetuses, children, and adults exposed in utero and continuously since. Does this match with the current epidemics of autism, alzheimer's, breast and prostrate cancer, depression, sexual difficulties, etc.
I appreciate the sounding of the alarm, but am left with the feeling that there's a monster out there but no easy way to identify it. For those of us on the Mensa reject list, it means that pretty much all plastics are to be avoided in terms of heating and storage. I hope you'll do a follow up article with some kind of chart or list of products and makers.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm sure you don't simply want to alarm us. Surely you want to direct us to safety as well. Please do.
Hello all plastics users:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlastic can consider as one of the most wonderful manmade material had discoved! it has brought to us countless applications and benefits! unfortunately it is similar as the dual edged rasor blade that can bring good and harmful effects to all! For sure BPA has brought countless people to hell since the day one to use it as products for daily demands and applications! Dying with cancers and genetic deformation seem to be countless from all corners of the world!
Good things seem to bring in bad things as the laws of Physics?
toannang
To the world consumers:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthere are countless manmade products have been released to be used in the world in all forms all sorts of applications that at their beginning seem to be okayed and years later people have been discovered that many of them have been the deadly and harmful stuffs: from numerous kinds of medicines, chemicals, to plastics materials, etc., that sadly have become anti-life, anti-health, anti-environments, anti-socio-benefits, etc.,
plastics seem to be the wondeful manmade materials that man have discovered and applying to countless kinds of applications and including food-containers, water bottles and other applications. Plastics release carcinogenic chemicals in the water and food that we consume, this is the nightmare to all world consumers indeed!
Each individual has packed several kilogrammes of plastics in the body already and cancer and genetic deformation seem to be all within the reach of all individuals in this planet earth! It is really terrible indeed!
what shall I do now?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLots of questions and not lots of time for answers. I tried to include some helpful guidelines on what to do if you shared some of these scientists concerns in the last two paragraphs. Avoiding Nalgene bottles for hot tea (or whatever) would be step one for all you winter sport types out there.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd I agree that I should do an article on EDCs and the low-dose / mixture response. But remember there is no proven link between any medical outcomes and BPA. We know it's in the human body but we don't know what impacts it has there.
foogyit, ur a genius.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishi
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgfr8 article! i was wondering if any one knows whether there have been any attempts of researchers looking for antibodies in human serum against BPA or other antigenic sites generated by plastic? levels in kids versus adults? thanks
This news article is pretty useless without a complete list of plastics that do and do not contain BPA.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt says that they have a number 7 on the bottom. My mineral water bottle has number 5 and my plastic coffee cup (vending machine) has number 11 on the bottom.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy yogurt pot has a 7 on the bottom - it's very thin and would collapse in microwave or very hot water
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEven though it is not conclusive on the effects on human health, I think that the article is giving us a great advise: Do not heat anything in plastic containers neither pour hot meals into them. Maybe it is time for us to pay attention. We might be putting our health in risk, so its always better to know.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor all those posters who were wondering what they can do to limit their exposure to BPA (and other nasty plastic ingredients) here's a useful link:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.agobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=77083
Or to summarize, just try to AVOID PLASTIC TYPES 3, 6 AND 7.
Types 1, 2, 4 and 5 are safer choices and are usually readily available. Just look on the bottom of the bottle...
Consider replacing plastic food storage containers with glass.
Consider buying soups, etc. in cardboard packs rather than cans, or choose a BPA-free brand such as Eden Foods.
There are a lot of people who are aware of this issue, and many websites sell non-toxic travel mugs, baby bottles, etc. BPA is everywhere, but there are many steps you can take to reduce exposure!
> such containers
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this> should never be ...
> washed in hot
> water (either by
> hand or in much
> hotter
> dishwashers).
Author/Editor -- can you please clarify this? Do you mean such containers should not be used if they have, in the past, been washed in hot water?
Is the chemical leaching out after the plastic is heated, on an ongoing basis, for a while? indefinitely? or only right after heating?
To be sure, exposure to low amount of BPS sounds safe, but if chronically exposed it can be dangerous.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAre the plastic coffee/tea/et al mugs safe to use or should they be thrown away? If so howcan they be properly disposed of?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSince canned goods are often lined with BPA, and in the process of canning the contents are usually heated, then can we assume that BPA has been released into most canned goods.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisshe we be using tupperware
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisshould we stop using tupperware and i would like to know whether lock & Lock storing food boxes r safe or not.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't see why we have to line cans with this stuff. We had canned products for years without the "white" lining and stuff help up just fine. I guess I need to let the food producers know my displeasure.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am the mother of a wonderful 5 month old little boy who has had quite a few medical problems and serious abdomenal pains since he quit breastfeeding at 1 month old. I knew nothing about BPA and the bottles we used for my son was made with BPA and know I am wondering what the sideffects of BPA are. And if it is the reason for his health problems. I am so very concerned about my son and the effects of BPA.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am the mother of a wonderful 5 month old little boy. And he has had several medical problems and sevre abdomenal pains that started within days of him changing from breastfeeding to being bottle fed. I am just wanting to know what the effects of BPA are. I did not know anything about BPA and used Bottles made with it, until I saw something on the news about it and then I found bottles at walmart that was BPA free about 2 months ago and bought them and started using only BPA free bottles. I am extremely concerned for my son health.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt makes interesting reading, however things should be looked at thoroughly before any panic sweeps. The most logical answer is get back to eating fresh non-packaged foods from your local green grocer and butcher.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere are ever increasing figures of cancers such as lymphoma in the last 50 year which begs the question why and how?
Finding out the truth is a benifit for all.
(If you worry about plastic bottles etc. get yourself a Sigg bottle which has 0.0% leeching http://www.mysigg.com/FAQ/ .
Here's the problem. What this article does not discuss is that there are a variety of plastics used and approved for various purposes from the plastic wrap used in packaging to the PET bottles used for soda because it can contain carbon dioxide. They discuss plastic marked with a 7 which is a general category of any plastic that doesn't fit into the others. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html This website explains them all. Yes, some leaching may occur and some are not rated for heat. But they also aren't considering that most chemical compounds in the body will be produced as byproducts naturally. Alcohol, lactic acid, and peroxide, are all naturally occurring compounds that can be toxic. When they can show conclusive support, I'll believe it. Oh, by the way, I work with beverages and am regularly selecting PLASTIC bottles for the beverages even I drink. Bottom line, don't reuse a plastic container for something that isn't in the same class as what was originally in it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHahaha, love your work foogyit- classic stuff
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt ends up in soil and groundwater, where it has been shown to disrupt sexual development in fish and frogs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet's see-- who do I suspect of being willing to lie for self-interested motives? Scientific researchers, or the chemical industry? That's a tough one... hmmm...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs there a safety code on the bottom of plasticware in a triangle?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDoes anyone know if electric plastic water kettles contains BPA and/or how does one determine if they do or don't?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDoes anyone have a suggestion as to where to research the possible leaching from 6 inch PVC drain pipe that have been made into hanging planters for strawberries? Or for planters made of plastic that house food plants like tomatos? This sounds like a great way to go from the people I am talking to, but nobody seems to know about the possible toxicity. Suggestions anyone?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am concerned about the little plastic trays or dishes used for frozen dinners. They are designed to be placed in microwaves with the frozed food still in them. Some people eat directly from the plastic tray and others transfer the food to a regular dish, Do these thing black "dishes" contain BPA?<a href="http://geniusbeauty.com" >health news</a>
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am concerned about the little plastic trays or dishes used for frozen dinners. They are designed to be placed in microwaves with the frozed food still in them. Some people eat directly from the plastic tray and others transfer the food to a regular dish, Do these thing black "dishes" contain BPA?<a href="http://geniusbeauty.com" >health news</a>
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this<a href="http://geniusbeauty.com" >health news</a>
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this<a href="http://geniusbeauty.com" >health news</a>
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this<a href="http://geniusbeauty.com" >health news</a>
i NeED SomE INfO aBouT thE chEmiCAlS cONtaINing by plAStIC ...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisbUT THaNKs ThaT SitE bECOUsE of sOMe INfO ...
huHUhuH ..
thAt Is My REpoRt tOMmorrOW ..........
Pretty good post. I just found your site and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your posts.In any case I'll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you post again soon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this<a href="http://www.htmlbackgroundcolor.com/" >Background color</a>
In the states people have awareness so may be one have less difficulty to prevent the public from using plastic containers but in the Asia specially in India you don't know how much it is difficult to give awareness to the public and shopkeepers. These people are still using plastic polythene bags to take away the foods and eatables. I think united nations have to take step their and should banned the use of plastic bags and containers for restoring and moving food items. Regards its Umair from http://www.wholesalepages.co.uk
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisREALLY! And do you believe everything the FDA says??!! They approved Aspartame for crying out loud! They've approved hundreds of things that have now been banned! BPA is unsafe. That's why it's not being use a predominantly anymore.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe main point is enforced strongly by the secondary data. This article can be improved by the input of primary
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdata, for example taking interviews of the people related to the industry or particular event. Fellow commentators who are
in favor of writers point view can change their mind by getting input from primary data.
<a href="http://www.urgentcustomessays.com">Custom Essay</a>
I have just visited your site and the info you have covered has been of great interest to me. Thank you so much.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this<a href="http://www.jugar-casino-online.net">casino online</a>
This question is way out in left field? My father-in-law had the plastic fuel line on his 2005 Malibu chewed into by mice or rats. Could there be a connection to this animal attraction to plastic and BPA mimmicking estro gen?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this