CSA's "News You Can Use": Protecting Against BPA

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

There's new concern about the possible ill health effects of Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA.  HHS has a website with info about safeguarding yourself and infants using baby bottles. Bisphenol A, a chemical added to plastics to harden them, has been used for more than 40 years in the manufacture of many hard plastic food containers such as baby bottles, reusable cups and the lining of metal food and beverage cans, including canned liquid infant formula.  Trace amounts of BPA can be found in some foods packaged in these containers.  90% of Americans show traces of this chemical in their urine. Recent studies have reported possible adverse effects of low doses of BPA in laboratory animals. While BPA is not proven to harm children or adults, these newer studies have led federal health officials to express some concern about the safety of BPA. To decrease your risk, minimize use of products containing BPA. Plastic containers have recycle codes on the bottom. Some (but not all) plastics marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.  In general, those with recycle codes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA.  Do not put very hot or boiling liquid that you intend to consume in plastic containers made with BPA, as BPA levels rise in food when containers/products made with the chemical are heated and come in contact with the food. Discard all bottles with scratches, as these may harbor bacteria and, if BPA-containing, lead to greater release of BPA. - Kathleen McKirchy, Community Services Agency Executive Director; photo courtesy David McNew/ Getty Images