Dangers Of BPA

Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been shown to be more harmful, as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) hold a safety meeting to talk about the safety of the compound. Many of the U.S. breast cancer cases are linked to environmental toxins like BPA.

BPA can be found in epoxy resins like the coatings inside aluminum water bottles and tin food cans, or the hard polycarbonate plastics used to make water-cooler jugs or baby bottles. However, it is hard to find the exact products containing BPA. One way to avoid the compound from epoxy resins is to eat more fresh or frozen food instead of canned products. Try to not to put hot food into hard plastic containers and microwaving them. The heat in the microwaves could break the BPA’s ester bonds and send the toxin into the foods.

Another way to avoid hard plastic items with polycabonate polymers would be to look at the numbered recycling codes under most products. The number 7 recycling symbol, representing the system’s “Other” category, contains polycarbonate, the main BPA holder. Those who are BPA-conscious should avoid this number 7. Those with numbers 3 and 6 contain phthalates, which are hormones that are believed to have hormone-disrupting abilities. Objects with the numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 symbols are considered the “safe plastics.”

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