BPA Essay

BPA effects on the Environment and People

What is BPA?

Over the course of the past 60 years, an increasing amount of the current population is using plastic and reusable products to try and reduce the amount of waste that is being thrown away. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate #7 plastic which have help strengthen plastic bottles, food containers and epoxy resins (University of Minnesota, 2008). BPA is used in a range of products from every day plastic beverage containers and plastic dinnerware, to compact disks, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The CDC (2013) also states that BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).

Most individuals are exposed through diet via BPA leaching from food containers, food packaging or plastic bottles, while there is still risk from air, dust, and water (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2013). There are many reason why there needs to be stricter guidance and regulations on the release of BPA in household items such as baby bottles, plastic food containers, and canned goods to name a few. Some reasons why these countries are banning BPA are due to its ill effect on people. BPA is considered to be an endocrine-disruptive chemical, which have been linked through laboratory testing to developmental issues, diabetes, cancer and other ailments (Bardelline, 2011). Canada, most of the European Union, China, South Africa and Malaysia have all collectively banned BPA usage in different forms.

The Exposure Mechanism of BPA

According to the NIH, The National Toxicolo...

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... lack of knowledge or information, it is still necessary to find ways to identify the harm that BPA can cause to humans in order to help save the environment and the health of everyone.

Conclusion

Although companies across the globe continue to produce multiple polycarbonate #7 plastic products with BPA, more is being noticed about the adverse health effects to humans can be harmful. Testing on mice has proven that some exposure to BPA can be linked to Cancer and neurological disorders. In countries which have banned the use of BPA in different products, would agree that this chemical is toxic and dangerous. However, as long countries like the United States, who do not currently support banning BPA countrywide due to limited scientific data to back all claims, BPA will continue to be a global issue which continues to be hidden in the dark and a mystery globally