Maine Gov: Don't Sweat BPA Dangers

Widely used BPA comes under more fire

(NEWSER) - A study of workers exposed to high levels of bisphenol A—a chemical widely used in plastic bottles and packaging—have a much higher incidence of sexual dysfunction than their counterparts. The study of Chinese workers found those exposed to BPA were 4 times more likely to report erectile dysfunction and low sexual desire. They were 7 times more likely to report problems with ejaculation. More»

BPA levels jump 69% in H2O drinkers

(NEWSER) - One aspect of the bisphenol A controversy can be put to rest: drinking from clear plastic bottles does increase the amount of the chemical in the body. The extent of BPA's effects on healthy adults is still not well known, but the FDA says existing exposure levels aren't high enough to harm even infants, reports the Boston Globe. More»

Nicholas Kristof says lobbying is keeping harmful chemicals legal

(NEWSER) - Male frogs born with female organs. Male fish laying eggs. Male alligators with tiny penises. These are just some of the bizarre effects we've seen in nature thanks to hormone-mimicking chemicals, Nicholas Kristof laments in the New York Times. Despite this, the same class of chemicals is nearly unavoidable in American packaging, cosmetics, and even receipts—and there's growing evidence that it's harmful to humans, too. Endocrine disrupters have been shown to cause problems such as breast cancer, infertility, and genital deformities. More»

Switching from plastic may not help depending on liner

(USER SUBMITTED) - A new study from toxicologist Scott Belcher of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine indicates that switching to metal water bottles from polycarbonate-plastic may not eliminate the risk of BPA leaching, reports Science News . It's the resin liner in the metal bottles that can be the culprit. Fortunately, the new BPA-free plastic bottles and those made from stainless steel with no liner or a BPA-free liner were found to have no traces of the pollutant chemical. More»

Fresh food diet best way to avoiding risky chemical

(NEWSER) - The estrogen-mimicking compound BPA, linked to health problems including breast cancer and infertility , is found in plastics, canned food, and even store receipts. It's nearly impossible to avoid it completely, but researchers say eating more fresh food helps and Fast Company has some tips for further cutting down exposure. Try to avoid:

• Bottled water—Drink from the tap or try BPA-free stainless steel bottles.
• Canned foods— found to be especially high in BPA —unless the can states that it has a BPA-free lining.