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