Red Alert for Toxic Plastic

The first large study in humans of a chemical widely used in everyday plastics has found that people with higher levels of bisphenol A (BPA) had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities, a finding that immediately became the focus of the increasingly heated debate over the safety of the chemical.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by a team of British and American scientists, compared the health status of 1,455 men and women with the levels of the chemical, known as BPA, in their urine. The researchers divided the subjects into four statistical groupings according to their BPA levels and found that those in the quartile with the highest concentrations were nearly three times as likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels, and 2.4 times as likely to have diabetes. Higher BPA levels were also associated with abnormal concentrations of three liver enzymes.

The BPA exposure in the study were below those deemed safe by the US Government, adding to a growing body of studies in animals that have linked low-level BPA exposure to various disorders. Trade groups representing the chemical industry and metal can producers dismissed the results. "Due to inherent limitations in study design, this new study cannot support a conclusion that BPA causes any disease," Steven G. Hentges of the American Chemistry Council said in a statement.

“Higher urinary concentrations of BPA were associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities” wrote the team of British and American researchers of Peninsula Medical school in Exeter, England. They also say follow­-up studies are needed to confirm their work and to determine whether BPA caused the observed health problems.

The British researchers noted that humans are also exposed BPA through the air and contact with the skin. Those findings ran counter to a report by another federal agency, the National Toxicology Program, which found “some concern” that BPA might cause developmental problems in the brain and hormonal systems of infants.

The FDA regulates the compound's use in plastic food containers, bottles, tableware and the plastic linings of food cans. In light of the controversy surrounding the chemical, the agency is reviewing its policy. It issued a draft statement last month that repeated its position that BPA is safe for food and beverage packaging, but it also tapped six outside scientists to review the scientific literature and make a recommendation to agency officials. Notably, more than 100 studies have linked BPA exposure to health effects in animals. The FDA maintains that BPA is safe largely on the basis of two studies funded by the chemical industry, a fact that was repeatedly cited at yesterday's forum.

Adapted from materials provided by The Washington Post

More infortmation on BPA

What is BPA?

BPA is a chemical produced in large quantities to produce polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It is used to give polycarbonate plastics its unbreakable quality.

Where is BPA found?

BPA found in some food and drink packaging, such as water and infant bottles, compact discs (CD), impact resistant safety equipment, dental sealants and medical devices.

How does BPA get in to the body?

The primary source is the diet. BPA can leach into our food from the protective internal epoxy resin coatings of canned foods and from consumer products such as polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, water bottles and baby bottles. The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle , than the age of the container. BPA can also found in breast milk.

Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Science (US)

How to avoid BPA exposure?

• Do not microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable but over time it may break down from over use at high temperature.
  
• Avoid polycarbonate containers that contain BPA, which usually have number 7 on the bottom (http://recyclenow.org/r_plastics.html).
  
• Reduce your use of canned foods. When possible, use glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food and liquids.
  
• Use baby bottles that are BPA free.
  

Mother’s Flu Shot Protects Newborns

Newborns can be protected from seasonal flu when their mothers are vaccinated during pregnancy, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in collaboration with researchers from the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research (ICDDR,B).

The researchers observed a 63 percent reduction in proven influenza illness among infants born to vaccinated mothers while the number of serious respiratory illnesses to both mothers and infants dropped by 36 percent. The study is the first to demonstrate that the inactivated influenza vaccine provides protection to both mother and newborn. The findings were presented during the National Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting in Washington, D.C. on September 17 and will be published in the October 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers observed 340 mothers and their infants as part of the larger Mother’s Gift vaccine evaluation study. The mothers were randomly selected to receive either flu vaccine or pneumococcal vaccine.

The inactivated influenza vaccine (the flu shot) is not licensed for infants younger than six months. The alternative nasal flu vaccine is not available for children under age 2. The flu shot has been recommended for pregnant women in the U.S. since 1997, although approximately 15 percent of pregnant women are vaccinated each year. “Even though there is no flu vaccine for these children, our study shows that a newborn’s risk of infection can be greatly reduced by vaccinating mom during pregnancy. It’s a two for one benefit,” said Mark Steinhoff, MD, the study’s senior author and professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health. “Pregnant woman should be encouraged to be vaccinated for the flu to protect their infants and themselves,” said Steinhoff.

Additional authors of the study include K. Zaman, S.E. Arifeen, M. Rahman, R. Raqui, N. Shahid and R.F. Breiman from the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh. E. Wilson is with the Bloomberg School of Public Health and S. B. Omer is with Emory University. The research was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the NPVO Research Fund, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Thrasher Research Fund, Aventis Pasteur, ICDDR,B and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Adapted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.