Photo credit: ccn.mofcom.gov.cn

FRIDAY FEB 8, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- A dozen of environmental health organizations in the U.S. and Canada released a report titled "bay's Toxic Bottles" on Feb 7 saying that the major brands of baby bottles made of polycarbonate plastic when heated leach a potentially harmful level of bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen that may pose serious adverse effects in infants.

Bisphenol A, first synthesized in 1895 and found later in 1936 to be a synthetic estrogen (a female hormone) has been used in hard, polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins used in the linings of some food and beverage containers including baby bottles and toddler sippy cups, dental sealants and other consumer products such as sunglasses and CDs.

The environmental health advocates are calling manufacturers and retailers to phase out use of bisphenol A and plastic with the chemical in baby bottles and urging the state and federal government to adopt policies to restrict use of BPA-containing plastic in baby bottles.

"This is quite concerning. All 19 polycarbonate bottles [investigated in the study] leached BPA when heated. This is clearly showing that BPA is certainly leaching from popular and common consumer products," Judith Robinson, special projects director with the Environmental Health Fund, was quoted by healthday.com as saying at a Thursday teleconference.

The report by The Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of U.S. public health and environmental NGOs, was based on both the testing of six major brands of baby bottles and a review of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on bisphenol A. They came to the conclusion that the level of bisphenol A exposure due to use of polycarbonate-based baby bottles puts babies in danger.

The tested baby bottles were sold under brand names Avent, Disney/The First Years, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex and purchased from nine states at major retailers: Babies "R" Us, CVS, Target, Toys "R" Us, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.

All bottles leached out bisphenol A at a level ranging from 5 to 8 parts per billion (PPB), according to the report.   The testing essentially confirmed a 2007 study by Environment California, which found Avent, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex baby bottles leached similar levels of bisphenol A. This time, these organizations also found Disney/The First Years are no exception.

Some facts on bisphenol A leaching from baby bottles found in the report include the following:

1) All tested baby bottles leached bisphenol A when heated;
2) Bisphenol A leached out from baby bottles when heated in the range of 5 to 8 ppb;
3) A review of more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles on bisphenol A concludes that the amount leaching from heated bottles is with the range that cause harm in animals and is a concern for infants;
4) In the United States, Dr. Brown's brand baby bottles had the highest leaching of bisphenol A whereas Avent had the lowest. In Canada, the results differed;
5) Heat increased the amount of bisphenol leaching. Heating to 80 degree C simulates 60 to 100 bottle washings and normal wear and use conditions.

The report says laboratory studies by Richter, CA et al. showed the level of exposure to bisphenol A leached from baby bottles causes a range of adverse effects in animals. The study titled “in vivo effects of bisphenol A in laboratory rodent studies” was published in the August-September 2007 issue of Reproductive Toxicology.

Bisphenol A has been already confirmed in animal studies to be capable of causing damage to reproductive, neurological, and immune systems at the levels leached from baby bottles during critical stages of development such as in infancy and in the womb.

Based on studies of animals, the potential implications with exposure to bisphenol A include prostate and breast cancer, early onset of puberty, obesity ,hyperactivity, lowered sperm count, miscarriage, diabetes and altered immune system.

The acceptable level of exposure to bisphenol A set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently 50 ug/kg/day.   The authors of the report acknowledge the chemical leached from baby bottles is below the standard level.  However, they cite an overwhelming majority of studies to suggest that the exposure to bisphenol A from baby bottles at a level even 1000 times lower than the standard level or at levels of parts per trillion may still have adverse effects on cell functions.

Baby bottles are not the only source of exposure to bisphenol A for babies.    

The Environmental Working Group reported in 2007 that bisphenol A was present in 55 out of 97 cans of food under 27 national name brands and three store brands purchased from major supermarket chains in California, Connecticut and Georgia.

The not-for-profit environmental health advocate tested canned fruit, vegetables, soda, and baby formula and found pregnant women and infants who eat even a single serving of some canned foods are exposed to unsafe doses of bisphenol A.   BPA levels were highest in canned pasta, soup, and canned infant formulas.

This means the actual exposure to bisphenol A received by babies may far exceed the level that triggers adverse response, which could linger into their adulthood, leading to serious disease such as prostate cancer and breast cancer.

The organizations recommend the following:

1) Manufacturers and retailers immediately phase out use of BPA-containing baby bottles;
2) States quickly adopt policies to restrict BPA use in all food and beverage containers including those intended for use by infants and children;
3) The Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers of BPA-lined infant formula cans should respond urgently and release the landmark investigation by Reps Dingell/Stupak into BPA leaching from infant formula cans;
4) The 30-year old federal law that regulates industrial chemicals should be amended to more adequately protect Americans.

They also recommend the following for parents to help minimize exposure of their babies to bisphenol A:

1) Use glass or polypropylene bottle (the #5 plastic) instead of polycarbonate (hard, shiny, clear or tinted plastic, usually with a number 7 or 'PC' on the bottom/underside) bottles;
2) Those using polycarbonate bottles should not use harsh detergents or wash them in the dishwasher. Clean them with warm soapy water and sponge. Scouring brushes can damage the surface and increase leaching of BPA;
3) Avoid heating foods in polycarbonate containers. Use glass or ceramic containers;
4) Avoid using infant formula brands in cans that use BPA as an epoxy liner;
5) Reduce consumption of canned foods and beverages to reduce exposure to bisphenol A contamination, particularly avoid canned foods with higher fat which may have higher levels of bisphenol A.

For more information, visit Baby's Toxic Bottle: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular Baby Bottles , Toxic Baby Bottles for Canadian readers, and Fact sheet on BPA.

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