BPA-Free Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Dangerous Chemical-Free

There was a great Op-Ed piece in the New York Times earlier this month that really brought home to me the issues that we as parents and consumers face with chemicals being used in certain plastics; most notably those that end up in our children’s hands and mouths such as baby bottles and sippy cups. 

We talk a lot about BPA, and you see BPA-free baby items all over the place now. But the question we should be asking is, “What chemicals are manufacturers using instead of BPA, and what are the dangers and implications of those?”

BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a “synthetic estrogen that disrupts normal endocrine function,” notes  Dominque Browning, adding that “there is growing evidence in animal studies that exposure during fetal growth affects the development of reproductive systems and, in offspring, can lead to neurological problems. BPA has also been linked to prostate and breast cancer.”  Wikipedia reports that “concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, prompting some retailers to remove products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants and young children.”

In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA a toxic substance.  In the EU and Canada BPA is banned in baby bottles.  At the State level in the US, Maine has banned it in food and beverage containers and Oregon is considering a ban.

BPA is in A.T.M. receipts printed and most other thermal paper such as cash register receipts.  It is in dental sealants, the lining of food cans and in many other items.

But as Browning pointed in the New York Times piece, we need to be concerned not only about BPA getting into our bodies and our children’s bodies, but we also need to really think about the products that are currently being used in place of BPA.

For example, some companies are using BPS instead of BPA in some thermal paper.  The EPA has a voluntary program that is currently evaluating BPS and 17 additional substances, but has not yet issued any information.  However, some tests outside of the US indicate that BPS “shows estrogenic activity” as well, according to Browning. 

And here is the kicker – some BPA-free bottles and sippy cups in the US use plastic containing BPS instead. 

Bisphenols in general seem to be bad news, but it’s easy to market something as “BPA-free” and still be exposing people to dangerous substances, when other bisphenols are used instead.  For example, Browning explains that “BPAF is BPA’s fluorinated twin. It is used in electronic devices, optical fibers and more. New studies have found BPAF to be an even more potent endocrine disrupter than BPA. Bisphenol B and Bisphenol F are other variants used instead of BPA in various products. In the limited testing done on those chemicals in other countries, scientists found Bisphenol B to be more potent than BPA in stimulating breast cancer cells.” 

And these are being used as BPA substitutes.

The issue seems to be that the US’s regulatory system lets manufacturers introduce or continue to use chemicals that have not been fully tested for safety. “A manufacturer can replace BPA with another untested compound and get a few years’ use out of it before it, too, becomes the subject of health alerts or news media attention” writes Browning.

So what can we do about this besides quietly freak out?

First, if you are a parent with children still in the bottle phase, consider using glass bottles only.  And if your kids drink out of plastic cups at dinner, think about switching those to glass too. 

A great solution to the problem of breakability with glass bottles and drinking glasses is to purchase a product that will protect them.  For example, the company I own sells a couple of really cool items that I have found to be fantastic.  These kid-friendly glasses use a removable, non-toxic and hypoallergenic silicon covering that makes them less likely to break and easier to hold.  We also sell a similar product for bottles. Or see these glass bottles and covers from the Glass Baby Bottle website. 

Stainless steel sippy cups are also becoming increasingly popular and you can pick those up at almost any big box retailer on online at stores such as Kleen Kanteen.

It’s not easy to have to think about these things.  As parents we want to assume that if it’s marketed for a baby or child, it’s safe for a baby or child.  Sadly, that isn’t always the case.