SCI 101
Phase 1 DB2
Instructor: Kenneth Gordon
Amanda VonKaenel
February 19, 2013
For several years Bisphenol A (BPA) has been used in many plastic bottles and metal based food and beverage containers and have thought to be safe. However in 2012, researchers argue that they have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children. The FDA is taking steps to reduce the exposure of BPA by supporting actions to stop producing BPA - containing baby bottles and infant feeding cups, developing alternatives to BPA for the linings of infant formula cans and supporting he efforts to replace BPA or minimize BPA levels in other food can linings.
The Department of Health and Human Services, through its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is conducting studies in both animals and humans to better determine and evaluate the potential health consequences of BPA. These studies are designed to better understand how BPA is metabolized in adults and children and determine, among other things, the effects of BPA on the developing bodies of children. Concern over potential harm from BPA is highest for young children, because their bodies are early in development and have immature systems for detoxifying chemicals. Senate Bill 271 (2010)
Enacted in March 2010, Wisconsin S.B. 271 prohibits the manufacture or sale at wholesale and retail of empty baby bottles and spill-proof cups for use by children 3 years of age or younger that contain BPA after June 15, 2010. Manufacturers of these products also must conspicuously label each product as not containing BPA. I have mixed feelings on BPA and whether it should be in plastics I use. I am a relaxed individual and sometimes believe that people make a bigger deal out of things that need to be. However I also know
References: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 2013 www.ncsl.org U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 2013 www.hhs.gov