Bisphenol A: Just as scary as H1N1 and the Bubonic Plague

bisphenol-a-just-as-scary-as-h1n1-and-the-bubonic-plagueDrop your wallet and your purse, everyone's favorite plastic bottle chemical to hate, bisphenol A (BPA), has just invaded US currency! I guess that means your cash isn't safe to use anymore. Don't panic though, just place all your filthy bills in an envelope and send them to me. As much fun as it would be, to join the crowd of sensational journalists, I mean to set the story straight. This story is bogus. Actually the story is real, it's the facts that are more far-fetched than Warren Buffett moving into the poor house. Sure, BPA makes headlines, but why? How did a simple additive used to create polycarbonate (clear, strong, lightweight) plastic transform into an agent of sickness in the shape of a plastic bottle? How did H1N1, the Bubonic Plague and BPA all come to be dreaded with equal fervor? The happy years BPA was invented in the late 1800s, but it wasn't used in plastic bottle packaging or other materials until the 1950s. Following nearly fifty years of beneficial use, the material was called into question regarding its status as a synthetic estrogen. Interesting how it took FIFTY years to notice the supposed harmful effects of this chemical. Not to mention the fact that living beings are still around to use it today! All plastics, guilty by association Faulty BPA facts spread like wildfire. Alarmed consumers immediately began to fear all plastics, though BPA is only prevalent in polycarbonate (a plastic that falls into the OTHER category) and occasionally appears in flexible PVC. Each of the remaining five resin types (<a title=Search for PET products at Container and Packaging Supply href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/SiteSearch.asp?search=PET>PET</a>, <a title=Search for HDPE products at Container and Packaging Supply href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/SiteSearch.asp?search=HDPE>HDPE</a>, <a title=Search for LDPE products at Container and Packaging Supply href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/SiteSearch.asp?search=LDPE>LDPE</a>, <a title=Search for PP products at Container and Packaging Supply href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/SiteSearch.asp?search=PP>PP</a>, <a title=Search for PS products at Container and Packaging Supply href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/SiteSearch.asp?search=PS>PS</a>) and firm <a title=Search for PVC products at Container and Packaging Supply href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/SiteSearch.asp?search=PVC>PVC</a> products (the only kind we sell!) are BPA-free. Canned food protector BPA is used in many packaging applications. Its presence in plastic bottles is obvious, but epoxy resins (BPA often found in the lining of metal cans) are making a rumor splash as well. Don't fret over catching cancer by eating baked beans; instead be thankful for the preservation advancements that only BPA can provide. If you take it away you might as well invite botulism and other food borne illnesses to your next impromptu block party. Not just giving up plastic bottles, but the whole kitchen sink Some anti-plastic enthusiasts are calling for a full BPA product removal. Sure you could find a <a href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/plastic-bottles/7/ target=_blank rel=noopener>BPA-free plastic bottle</a> to drink from (we've got a ton!) but that's not all you'd lose. Say a big bye-bye to eyeglasses, CDs, DVDs, sports equipment, car parts, metal canned goods and much, much more. BPA can harm you if¦ In 1988, the EPA set the BPA standard of safety at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day. According to <a title=Read this report at bisphenol-a.org href=http://www.bisphenol-a.org/human/polyplastics.html>bisphenol-a.org</a> , ¦An average adult consumer would have to ingest more than 600 kilograms (about 1,300 pounds) of food and beverages in contact with polycarbonate every day for an entire lifetime to exceed the level of BPA that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set as safe. That's a whole lot of beans (1,429 cans, actually). It goes right through you Pardon the phrasing, but it's true. Some BPA studies claim that BPA is a damaging chemical, and that it accumulates in the human body. It is true that BPA can be ingested in minute amounts, but it's harmless and the chemical is extracted in less than 24 hours. The cherry on top Out of all the reports written about BPA, not one peer-reviewed study, based on typical consumer activities, reveals any actual harm to humans. All that worry for nothing, BPA won't hurt you or your loved ones. So, what's with all the hype then? Let's just say special interest groups know that melodramatic and ambiguous claims (using nondescript terms like linked, experts and toxic) are more effective fear inducers than actual research. Plus, factual findings tend to boggle down their plastic bottle horror stories. And now they're after your BPA money too. Read <a title=Read this BPA article href=http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/contributing%20columnist0/BPA_And_The_Precautionary_Principle_Turning_Tables_On_The_Fear_Entrepreneurs.shtml>BPA and the Precautionary Principle: Turning Tables on the Fear Entrepreneurs </a>or check out <a title=Visit factsaboutbpa.org href=http://factsaboutbpa.org/>factsaboutbpa.org</a> for more BPA revelation. Do you feel duped by the anti-plastic PR powers at be? Or will you continue to stay away from BPA? Tell us what you think in the comments!