Snipped from SciAm.com.

It looks like the critics of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in #6 plastics called polycarbonates, are winning the war over its wanted ban. The rationale behind the worry of BPA comes from its ability to mimic the female hormone estrogen, aka. an endocrine disrupter. Small firms have been revealing its dangers, but the larger firms paid for by the plastic industry said there was no reason for the worry.

This may not be the first time you heard about this since we reported on this chemical more than two years ago in “Health Alert: Plastics May Make You Fat!” Here is what we had to say:

From preliminary evidence of researchers in studying abnormal changes in animal’s sexual development, scientists have identified a trigger for fat-cell activity caused by a common chemical used in products from marine paints and pesticides to food and beverage containers.

This chemical is called bisphenol A, and in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they found 95 percent of the people they tested had levels at or above those that affected development in animal studies. Studies by Frederick vom Saal, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri at Columbia, have indicates that developmental exposure to low doses of bisphenol A activates genetic mechanisms that promote fat-cell activity.

With seven states proposing this ban, we may finally be getting the justice we deserve. Here is a small portion of the article:

At least seven states are considering banning bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in baby bottles and other plastic products that U.S. federal regulators have said is safe but has been banned in Canada because of links to health problems including heart disease and diabetes.

Lawmakers in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota have proposed restrictions on BPA, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports – part of a periodic series of stories the newspaper is running on the chemical also found in the lining of cans.

The proposed state measures would ban BPA in baby bottles, baby formula cans, cups and other products for kids, according to the newspaper. The House and Senate are also considering bills, introduced by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), that would slap a federal ban on use of BPA in all food and drink containers.

Read Full Article Here!