Go to Original
Chemical in Plastic May Harm Human Growth
By Marla Cone
The Los Angeles Times
Wednesday 16 April 2008
A federal report finds "some concern"
that fetuses, babies and children are at risk from bisphenol A. But plastics
industry officials see no serious risk.
A controversial, estrogen-like chemical in plastic could be harming the development
of children's brains and reproductive organs, a federal health agency concluded
in a report released Tuesday.
The National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health,
concluded that there was "some concern" that fetuses, babies and children
were in danger because bisphenol A, or BPA, harmed animals at low levels found
in nearly all human bodies.
An ingredient of polycarbonate plastic, BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic
chemicals in industry today. It can seep from hard plastic beverage containers
such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant
formula.
The federal institute is the first government agency in the U.S. to conclude
that low levels of BPA could be harming humans. Its findings will be used to
help regulators at federal and state environmental agencies to develop policies
governing its use.
The draft report followed an 18-month review that was fraught with allegations
of bias, heated disputes among scientists and the firing of a consulting company
with financial ties to the chemical industry.
Some scientists suspect that exposure early in life disrupts hormones and alters
genes, programming a fetus or child for breast or prostate cancer, premature
female puberty, attention deficit disorders and other reproductive or neurological
disorders.
In its new report, the National Toxicology Program, which reviewed about 500
laboratory animal experiments, concluded that there was "some concern"
that fetuses, babies and children were at risk from BPA. It rated as "negligible"
the concern for adults.
When animal fetuses or newborns are exposed, BPA "can cause changes in
behavior and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland and the age at which females
attain puberty," the agency's draft report says.
"These studies only provide limited evidence for adverse effects on development
and more research is needed to better understand their implications for human
health," it said. "However, because these effects in animals occur
at bisphenol A exposure levels similar to those experienced by humans, the possibility
that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed."
Plastics industry representatives stressed that the agency found "no serious
or high-level concerns." They call the lab animal experiments inconclusive
and flawed.
Steven G. Hentges of the American Chemistry Council's polycarbonate/BPA group
said the findings "provide reassurance that consumers can continue to use
products made from bisphenol A."
"The limited evidence for effects in laboratory animals at low doses primarily
highlights opportunities for additional research to better understand whether
these findings are of any significance to human health," he said.
In the key area of reproductive health, the agency reported more concern about
the potential dangers to children than its advisory panel did.
The advisory panel in August found "minimal" concern about effects
on the prostate and puberty after siding with the plastics industry and disqualifying
many animal studies that showed effects. That drew criticism from scientists
who conducted the research.
But in the new report, the National Toxicology Program overruled its panel,
elevating its finding about human prostates and puberty to "some concern."
It also for the first time expressed concern about effects on human mammary
glands, which the panel had not addressed.
The findings "break new scientific ground" by validating the low-dose
animal tests, said Anila Jacob, senior scientist at Environmental Working Group,
an activist group. It "reflects a significant body of science showing that
BPA may play a larger role than previously thought in a host of common health
problems, including prostate cancer, breast cancer and early puberty,"
she said.
Frederick vom Saal, a reproductive scientist at University of Missouri-Columbia
who studies BPA, said the new report was "very, very much in line"
with a consensus statement signed by 38 scientists last year that said the chemical
could be harming babies' brains and reproductive tracts.
"This is going to ripple around the world," vom Saal said. "The
bottom line is there really is a convergence of opinion that is occurring."
Canada is expected soon to declare BPA a toxic substance, which would be followed
by proposals to control its use. California and other states have considered
but not adopted bans on BPA in products.
A year ago, the Los Angeles Times reported that the government was basing its
BPA decision on a summary of the science drafted by a private company, Sciences
International, which had financial ties to more than 50 chemical companies and
groups. The company was then fired. National Toxicology Program officials audited
the report and found it unbiased, so it was used to reach its conclusions.
The National Toxicology Program will accept public comments on its draft report
until May 23, and it will be reviewed by a new scientific panel in June.
-------
Jump to today's Truthout Issues:
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. t r u t h o u t has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is t r u t h o u t endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
"Go to Original" links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted on TO may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the "Go to Original" links.
Print This Story
E-mail This Story