Problem Plastic? Making Your Home BPA Free

Animal Studies Have Shown BPA Mimics Estrogen

BPA Can Be Found In Baby Bottles, Water Bottles, DVDs, CDs

Reporting
Laurie Stein
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―

Caroline Shepherd applies sunscreen on her two daughters to shield them from the sun. She uses floaties and a pool fence to protect her youngest child from the pool. And she scans the ingredient list on all the lotions and medications before she applies them on the girls. But when it comes to plastics, she finds herself confused by all the information available today. "I am very concerned", she said. According to the mother of two, "Information is hard to come by and you hear things and you don't know what's real and what's true and what you can count on."

She is especially concerned after animal studies have shown that a material used to make hard plastic called Bisphenol A, or BPA, can mimic estrogen and is linked to breast and pancreatic cancer, type 2 diabetes, early puberty in girls, attention deficit disorder and other medical problems. Now many parents like Caroline want to know more about BPA and how to avoid it.

To help Caroline and our viewers understand what we need to know about BPA, CBS4 I-team investigator Laurie Stein spoke to pediatrician Dr. Philip Floyd. He suggests heating foods in glass, rather than plastic. He also suggests avoiding canned food since BPA can be in the can's lining; alternatives are fresh food and food packaged in soft or "aseptic" boxes.

Dr. Floyd says you should also think about eliminating many plastic products from the home, including plastic toy boxes that could leech BPA into play things. He also explains that many parents are choosing to buy metal or glass baby bottles, rather than plastic bottles. If you do use plastic bottles, you should wash them by hand, not in the dishwasher. Dr. Floyd adds, "Also old products should probably be thrown out or replaced with ones that are BPA free."

Since animal studies have shown that BPA mimics estrogen, scientists are especially concerned with the possible health effects on female bodies. In fact, Dr. Floyd says it is possible to extrapolote from the animal studies and conclude that BPA might affect a young woman's estrogen levels. According to him, "The average age of onset of puberty in boys and girls is 11, the range is 8 to 14 but we are seeing some children as young as 6 or 7 showing the signs of early puberty." In one particular case he has seen in his Coral Gables office, he says a six year old female patient has shown several signs of puberty. When questioned, the girl's parents could not determine whether or not they used plastic bottles although the products have been commonly used by most parents in the last decade.

Dr. Janvier Gasana is a scientist at FIU who specializes in environmental toxins and plastic materials. He has done a great deal of research into BPA and other plastics including polyvinyl chloride or PVC. He explains that PVC products can be identified by the "3" on the bottom of the product, while he says that BPA products are sometimes " identified by the number seven." If a product does not have a number or if you have questions about what material was used, you should contact the manufacturer. Experts also say that some dentists are still using dental sealants in their work, made with BPA. If you are concerned, you can ask your dentist about BPA-free dental sealants. Even pediatrician Dr. Floyd is searching his home to examine the plastic products he owns; he has three young childern and states, "it is better safe than sorry. I am not taking any chances."

According to the experts we interviewed, these are some of the best web sites for learning more about BPA. Please note, the first one contains an important link and information for the public to submit comments to the government by May 28.

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Institute For Agriculture And Trade Policy

National Institutes of Health

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