Bee-Eazy Reusable Bag Buzz

Another good reason to wash your hands...

Science News 12.4.10

French scientists recently published three alarming new studies on how Bisphenol-A enters the human body.

Their research supports the idea that BPA can pass through the skin with relative ease. One study focused on about 400 pregnant Cincinnati residents, and found that those with the highest levels of BPA worked as cashiers. Cashiers handle receipts, and many receipts that do not use ink to print contain BPA.

In order to confirm this, the researchers took several live skin samples from pig and human subjects, and then brushed the dry skin samples with varying amounts of BPA. Three days later, more than half of the endocrine-disrupting chemical had been absorbed.

Read more on the study at Science News.

BPA exposure may lead to pregnancy difficulties

Discovery 12.2.10

A study published this month in Environmental Health Perspectives focuses on the affect endocrine-disrupting chemical(and popular water bottle/receipt additive) Bisphenol-A has on the reproductive abilities of mammals over the course of their lifetime. While the study focused on mice, researchers believe the results may lead to further concern for humans in contact with the ubiquitous substance.

The study involved allowing a selection of female mice to become pregnant. At that point, the pregnant mice were separated and given BPA-containing solutions. The concentration of BPA in these solutions ranged from miniscule amounts to a mouse-sized version of the human dose. A control group was given none.

These different groups of mice were then allowed to continue breeding throughout their lifespan to see how the amount of BPA would affect their ability to breed.

Within four months, litters of those given the BPA solution had shrank by 25%, and the frequency of pregnancies was also notably lower.

Read more about it at Discovery.

Consumer Reports study finds BPA in "nearly all" canned foods

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online - 11.2.09

 
"A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found bisphenol A leaching into food from nearly all cans, including those marked 'BPA-free' and 'organic.' The magazine's tests found that levels of the chemical in many of the cans were comparable to those found to cause cell damage and behavioral effects in animal studies... Last week, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences announced it will spend roughly $30 million over the next two years studying BPA. That includes $14 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or stimulus funds."

Read the entire Journal Sentinel article here.

Read coverage by the LA Times here.

Don't Touch That Receipt! It May Be Toxic

 

Cashiers out there beware of the hidden risks of BPA in register receipts.  The toxic chemical bisphenol A which has recently been circulating in the media in stories about baby bottles and canned goods is apparently all over your receipts and in large amounts.  This paper treatment comes off on your hands and can enter the bloodstream through your skin causing silent risk.  BPA has been shown to

disrupt the development of the brain and reproductive system in animals, has been linked to a long list of potential heath problems, and the damage can be passed along in epigenetic changes.  The next time you’re asked would you like a receipt with that you may want to rethink your answer.

 

See the full article here:  Don't Touch That Recept!  It May Be Toxic

SIGG Aluminum Bottles prior to 8/08 not BPA free

Until August 2008, every aluminum bottle produced by SIGG and Laken was lined with a water-based epoxy that contained BPA as reported by SNEWS.  They have since reconfigured their product with new liners certified to be BPA and phthalate free.  Our Take:  A recall was never issued, but to their credit the company has set up a replacement program for customers who may have purchased a bottle thinking it was BPA free.  The exchange program can be accessed by contacting the following address liners@mysigg.com for USA or to customerservice-canada(at)sigg.com for Canada.  For additional information on this story read further Link

 

BPA Plastic Bottles banned in Chicago

The New York Times 5.14.09  

 The City Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a measure making Chicago the nation’s first city to ban the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups manufactured with a chemical that some studies have linked to disease.

Passage was driven by what officials here call federal regulators’ failure to take action on a grave public health issue.

The chemical, bisphenol-A, or BPA, is commonly employed to harden plastics, among other uses. Over time, it can leach into the contents of a plastic container, particularly one that is used in a microwave oven or cleaned in a dishwasher.

Chicago Bans BPA Bottles

New Safety Law Doesn't Mean All's Well In Toyland

2.12.09                          

A new federal law has been passed banning use of phthalates in children's products and toys.  This ban is just the beginning in the fight against unsafe children's products.  It is still incredibly difficult to determine if phthalates are used or what health effects can be experienced by widely used alternatives.

 New Safety Law Doesn't Mean All's Well in Toyland

What Plastics are Safe?

Non-Toxic Life.com

The news about plastics has been pretty alarming lately, causing some of us to go dashing for the water bottles, even our Tupperware to see what kind of plastic they are—and find out if we’ve been unwittingly poisoning our children and ourselves with chemicals leaching into the water from them.

If you’ve been concerned, here is a handy chart that identifies the good, bad, and OK plastics and where they are found.

Find out here: http://www.nontoxiclife.com.au/pdf/SAFE%20USE%20OF%20PLASTICS%20QUICK%20GUIDE.pdf

Bottle Maker To Stop Using Plastic Linked To Health Concerns

New York Times 04.18.08

Nalgene, the brand that popularized water bottles made from hard, clear and nearly unbreakable polycarbonate, will stop using the plastic because of growing concern over one of its ingredients.

Link: Bottle Maker To Stop Using Plastic Linked To Health Concerns

New York Times 04.18.08

Nalgene, the brand that popularized water bottles made from hard, clear and nearly unbreakable polycarbonate, will stop using the plastic because of growing concern over one of its ingredients.

Link: Bottle Maker To Stop Using Plastic Linked To Health Concerns

Government Questions Plastic Bottle Safety

MSNBC.com  09.03.08

Government toxicologists have reiterated safety concerns about a chemical used in baby bottles and food containers, just weeks after the Food and Drug Administration declared the substance safe.

Link: Government questions plastic bottles' safety

Link: Video – Report questions plastic bottle safety

BPA Legislation Heats Up

CBC News 10.18.08  

The federal government has decided to add bisphenol A to the country’s list of toxic substances and draft regulations that ban the sale in Canada of plastic baby bottles containing the chemical…

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog 10.14.08

There’s a bit more heat this week on bisphenol A, this time courtesy of attorneys general in Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware. The AGs sent letters to 11 companies asking them to voluntarily stop putting the chemicals into baby bottles and formula.

Our Take:

Two big moves to ban BPA – Canada is a model for when government acts responsively and proactively in the interest of public safety. Fortunately, we’re seeing some great leadership on the part of Conneticut, New Jersey and Delaware. We hope it’s only the beginning of Americans taking matters into their own hands – politically and personally – to put health before profit.

Link: Canada moves to ban bisphenol A in baby bottles

Link: States Ask Companies to Stop Putting BPA in Baby Bottles

CBC News 10.18.08  

The federal government has decided to add bisphenol A to the country’s list of toxic substances and draft regulations that ban the sale in Canada of plastic baby bottles containing the chemical…

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog 10.14.08

There’s a bit more heat this week on bisphenol A, this time courtesy of attorneys general in Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware. The AGs sent letters to 11 companies asking them to voluntarily stop putting the chemicals into baby bottles and formula.

Our Take:

Two big moves to ban BPA – Canada is a model for when government acts responsively and proactively in the interest of public safety. Fortunately, we’re seeing some great leadership on the part of Conneticut, New Jersey and Delaware. We hope it’s only the beginning of Americans taking matters into their own hands – politically and personally – to put health before profit.

Link: Canada moves to ban bisphenol A in baby bottles

Link: States Ask Companies to Stop Putting BPA in Baby Bottles

Stop Eating BPA

Care2 10.14.08

Is it just me–or is it really maddening that we are pelted with industrial toxins and told by governmental regulating agencies that they are safe?

Canned foods are thought to be the predominate route of BPA exposure. Numerous studies support this fact, including an investigation of BPA exposures for 257 young children in North Carolina and Ohio day care centers.

Our Take: Most of us have heard about BPA leaching from some plastic bottles. But the primary source of BPA may be canned items – everything from tomato sauce to baby formula. This alarming fact has gotten buried in the frenzy over BPA in plastic bottles. Here are some great tips to reduce BPA exposure from all sources.  

Link: Stop Eating BPA

Care2 10.14.08

Is it just me–or is it really maddening that we are pelted with industrial toxins and told by governmental regulating agencies that they are safe?

Canned foods are thought to be the predominate route of BPA exposure. Numerous studies support this fact, including an investigation of BPA exposures for 257 young children in North Carolina and Ohio day care centers.

Our Take: Most of us have heard about BPA leaching from some plastic bottles. But the primary source of BPA may be canned items – everything from tomato sauce to baby formula. This alarming fact has gotten buried in the frenzy over BPA in plastic bottles. Here are some great tips to reduce BPA exposure from all sources.  

Link: Stop Eating BPA

Toys Containing Banned Plastics Still in Stores

The Wall Street Journal 10.23.08

Three types of phthalates, chemical additives that render hard plastics flexible, will be banned from children's toys and child-care products starting Feb. 10, while three other types of phthalates will be temporarily prohibited from child-care products and toys that can be placed in a child's mouth…

"This holiday season is going to be 'buyer beware,'" says Elizabeth Hitchcock of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

Consumers will see "toys marked down at a discount without knowing that they contain a substance that will be banned in February," says Ms. Hitchcock. That could "present a tremendous danger," she says, because the lower prices will be all the more appealing to shoppers during an economic downturn.

Link: Toys Containing Banned Plastics Still on Market