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 (PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS) and firm PVC 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 BPA-free plastic bottle 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 bisphenol-a.org , “…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 BPA and the Precautionary Principle: Turning Tables on the Fear Entrepreneurs or check out factsaboutbpa.org 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!
Water, salt, chlorine, fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), iodine, microwaves, candy, cell phone waves, sunshine and even laughter can kill you.
ReplyDeleteWater is critical for survival, but too much of it can kill you. (Just google "wee for wii death"). This is true of salt, chlorine, Vitamin A, iodine, sunshine and yes, even laughter (I suppose). The point is, we live. And we continue to live because we REGULATE our intake and exposure to these and a billion other things.
You might think that I have a bit of an axe to grind ... and well, you'd be right.
There are so many products out there that make life easier, convenient, enjoyable, and even POSSIBLE. The point is that we use these things with moderation. My real beef with sensationalist fear mongering is this: learn what the critical toleration levels are, and then be smart.
Your shower curtain is made of flexible PVC. Flexible PVC (not all, but some) can have harmful phthalates in it. Some of these phthalates have been linked to causing cancer. But it ISN'T going to cause cancer unless you eat it, and your neighbor's shower curtain, and all the shower curtains in all the homes of a full city block in Tokyo. You'll most likely die of digestive clogging before the evil carcinogenic phthalates get to you.
Fact: Overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer.
Sensational response: NEVER go outdoors.
Practical response: Understand what "overexposure" means and avoid it.
Fact: Eating excessive amounts of candy causes cavities.
Sensational response: NEVER eat candy.
Practical response: Understand what "excessive amounts" of candy are and consult with an expert on what is safe.
Fact: Excessive ingestion of BPA can lead to health complications.
Sensational Response: Go on a crusade to eradicate BPA from the planet.
Practical Response: Understand what "excessive ingestion" means and then act accordingly.
We're as safe from BPA as we are from being mauled by the Loch Ness Monster. I mean honestly, who eats 1400 cans of food in a year, let alone every day of their entire life?