Plastic Problems Part 2

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is now used to line food cans — even when the food inside is certified organic. In fact, a series of independent tests performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) showed that "over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods" contained BPA, including in acidic products, such as tomatoes, and fatty foods, such as infant formula. Acidic foods or high fat foods tend to leach out more of these chemicals than other foods stored in the same type of container. BPA is not only implicated in infertility and birth defects, but also in breast and prostrate cancer.

A couple of EWG's findings:

Of all foods tested, chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli had BPA levels of highest concern. Just one to three servings of foods with these concentrations could expose a woman or child to BPA at levels that caused serious adverse effects in animal tests.

For 1 in 10 cans of all food tested, and 1 in 3 cans of infant formula, a single serving contained enough BPA to expose a woman or infant to BPA levels more than 200 times the government's traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals.

And, more on phthalates: These chemicals are widely found in personal care products, ranging from cleansers and soaps to cosmetics and perfumes. In this use, they are intended to keep products going on smooth. But, some people suspect that phthalates in these products are a major source of phthalate exposure for women, and in August, 2005, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives published research showing that phthalate exposures in pregnant women correlated to a decrease in "anogenital distance" their in baby boys. The amount of phthalates these women showed was equal to the amount regularly found in about 25% of our population! Anogenital distance is the space between the anus and the genetalia, and though these baby boys appeared fairly normal, decreases in anogenital distance are associated with a number of male sexual development problems later in life.

What can you do? Well, when it comes to cans, if you open one and see that white plastic coating lining it, immediately call the manufacturer's 800-number customer service line and tell them you don't want to buy products that come in cans lined with bisphenol-A containing plastic. And, again, when possible, purchase products that are packaged in glass or unlined cans.

As for phthalates and personal care products, check the Skin Deep database that EWG has developed to learn about what the personal-care products you use have in them, and then select the safest alternatives listed on the Skin Deep database.