WASHINGTON ? Writing in the Huffington Post last week, Senator Diane Feinstein argued for the abolition of BPA from food and beverage containers.
"No responsible parent would expose their infant to cigarette smoke or car exhaust," Feinstein wrote. "But every day in America, millions of infants are exposed to dangerous chemicals hiding in plain view...This chemical is called BPA ? a key component of plastics ? and it is found everywhere in modern life."
According to Feinstein, scientific evidence has shown that exposure to BPA at low levels may be dangerous for humans, especially during prenatal development and early infancy. She said that nearly 200 studies verify that exposure to BPA is associated with a range of adverse health effects, including breast and prostate cancer, genital abnormalities in male babies, infertility in men, and early puberty in girls.
Feinstein wrote that a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 93 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine. Additionally, she cited a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found "significant links between exposure to high levels of BPA and a variety of ailments and abnormalities, including diabetes, heart disease, and high liver enzyme levels."
Feinstein said that while the Food and Drug Administration last year declared BPA to be safe, a newspaper investigation revealed that chemical industry lobbyists wrote "significant parts" of the FDA's assessment.
Feinstein said that new findings from the FDA are expected soon, but that state and local governments are taking their own action.
Connecticut and Minnesota, and the city of Chicago, have restricted the use of BPA. And Canada has banned BPA in baby bottles. Additionally, Walmart and Toys "R" Us will no longer sell baby bottles containing BPA.
Feinstein then outlined legislation that she introduced earlier this year that would eliminate BPA from all food and beverage containers. The legislation would:
- Ban the sale of reusable beverage containers that contain BPA.
- Prohibit the use of food and beverage containers that contain BPA.
- Provide for renewable one-year waivers for manufacturers that can show the FDA that there is no technology allowing the manufacture of a particular product without the use of BPA.
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