BPA, Baby Bottles and prevention of cancer

Dr Carl AlbrechtHead of Research

11 August 2010

What is this all about?

Clash of ideas

What are the opposing ideas?

Pro-BPA

• BPA is a valuable chemical, used widely, and poses no health danger to mankind

Anti-BPA

• BPA is a dangerous chemical that should be banned, especially where it is a contamination threat to babies

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a man-made chemical

SmallSymmetricWhite powder

BPA binds to oestrogen receptor

BPA + Order = Chaos (Cancer)

Highly regulated process

Unregulated, haphazard process

BPA is an EDC

Endocrine

Disrupting

Compound

Happens at very low concentrations –ng/ml

DES was given to pregnant women rather than BPA (because it is more active)

BPA – Bisphenol A DES - Diethylstibesterol

DES was given to 7 million pregnant women for 40 years to prevent miscarriages before it was discovered that DES causes vaginal cancer in the daughters

Note how similar BPA and DES are.

Effect of a low dose of BPA on breast tissue

Control milk duct in mouse breast tissue

Mice treated with 25 ng BPA/kg body weight per day

25 ng is 1000-times lower than the FDA safety limit of 25 ug.

92% Americans have BPA in their blood.

BPA has been linked to:• Increased breast cancer risk• Increased prostate cancer risk• Early puberty• Diabetes• Brain dysfunction• Thyroid dysfunction• Heart disease• Infertility in males and females• Obesity

25 % of all cancers

Conclusion

Endocrine disrupting compounds such as DES and BPA (proven and possible

cancer threat respectively) must be avoided especially during pregnancy

and in 0-3 year old children

The danger of man-made endocrine disrupting compounds – “a spanner in the works”.

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds

LIVING SYSTEMS

Chaos …cancer

POLYCARBONATE ENTERS THE PICTURE

• Heat resistant• Impact resistant• Shatterproof• Clear• Easily worked• Easily moulded• Easily thermoformed

Discovered that BPA-carbonates when strung together form polycarbonate.

Anatomy of Polycarbonate

BPA carbonate

Polycarbonate

Free BPA - plasticiser

Other items where polycarbonate or BPA is used

The Penny Drops….there is BPA in the baby bottle!

The Baby Bottle seems so innocent!

World-wide rejection of BPA in Baby Bottles

• Canada• Denmark• France• Various US States

PC

Why are children (0-3 yrs) more susceptible to BPA?

1. Brains still developing

2. Lack enzymes to inactivate BPA

3. Eat ten-times more than adults per day per body weight than adults

Is the Baby Bottle the Tipping Point against man-made chemicalcarcinogens?

Summary

• CANSA has studied the pro- and anti-BPA scientific evidence over the past three years and is convinced that BPA, which is hormonally active, poses a threat to human health - specifically by increasing the risk of breast or prostate cancer

• In order to reduce this increased risk CANSA supports reasonable processes to significantly limit exposure to BPA - especially of pregnant women and our babies who are more vulnerable

• One such process is to replace polycarbonate baby bottles containing BPA with BPA-free bottles

No need to trash the world – trash BPA Baby Bottles

CANSA is a watchdog and the Smart Choice logo helps to educate the public.

Placing the CANSA Smart Choice logo on BPA-Free baby bottles makes good sense

Thank You