Babies absorb the most toxic BPA--study

BPA is a chemical that has been used for more than 40 years in the manufacture of many hard plastic food containers such as baby bottles and reusable cups and the lining of metal food and beverage cans, including canned liquid infant formula.

It is a key element in polycarbonate or PC synthetics and epoxy resins, nearly three million tonnes being produced annually throughout the world.

Bisphenol A in everyday objects
A large number of plastic objects used in day to day lives such as plastic bottles, medical equipment, baby bottles and food packaging are made of polycarbonate synthetic materials. And, BPA based epoxy resins are used to coat food and drink cans and seal drinking water pipelines.

Bisphenol A (BPA) gets its way into organism as a result of the food coming into contact with the packaging materials or plastic containers, besides air, water and dental fillings.

Being an active hormone, Bisphenol A (BPA) behaves exactly just like estrogen or anti-androgen. Thus, even in small quantities, BPA can affect sexual development, especially in the case of male fetuses and babies.

Limit on the daily intake of BPA
Currently, the European Food Safety Authority has limited the daily intake of BPA to 50 micrograms per kilogram of the body weight.

Natalie von Gotz, a scientist from the Institute of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Germany, said, “However, the limit doesn't include the studies on the hormonal impact of bisphenol A, which are often difficult to interpret.”

This amount is well below the statutory minimum. “But the latest studies on rats have shown that even low doses can have a harmful impact on the development of the animals,”' says von Gotz, according to an Institute of Chemistry release.

The study also points out the need to carry out further research on this subject.