In a blog written by Julie Deardorff, in "Health Club" posted on the Chicago Tribune Web News Site on August 3, 2007, there was a story about a compound called bisphenol (BPA), which is estrogen-like in nature and found in plastic baby bottles and other products. It seems that bisphenol can cause reproductive disorders in humans. But it's not just an Internet rumor. A government panel will soon shed more light on these findings.

A group of researchers from around the world has issued another warning - very low levels of exposure to the chemical can potentially pose adverse effects to a developing fetus. They found that upon examining 700 studies - the range of exposures that most Americans experience are higher than those that cause a wide range of adverse health effects in animals. The consensus statement was recently published by the journal Reproductive Toxicology.

The news gets worse because researchers from the National Institutes of Health conducted a new study targeting BPA and found that uterine damage in newborn animals occurred when they were exposed to the chemical. According to reporter Maria Cone of the Los Angeles Times, damage is a possible predictor of reproductive diseases in women, including fibroids, endometriosis, cystic ovaries and cancers. Cone stated that it was the first time BPA has been linked to female reproductive tract disorders, although earlier studies have found early-stage prostate and breast cancer and decreased sperm counts in animals exposed to low doses. And, joining the bandwagon, five other scientific reviews published in "Reproductive Toxicology" found that the chemical might pose a health threat to humans. Three of the reviews examined outcomes, including early stage breast and prostate cancer, decreased sperm counts and early puberty in mice and rats, at exposure levels comparable to those most Americans experience.

Granted, there are relatively few studies showing the human effects of BPA - so researchers can't really determine how well data will translate to human diseases. One review that is particularly troublesome indicates that BPA is omnipresent in the lives of Americans and sources include the linings of food cans and plastic containers, including popular water and baby bottles. If Americans are currently overexposed to BPA - then what is "safe exposure" in terms of standards for humans?

For further information, go to:
www.bisphenol-a.org

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