Danger lurks in plastic

Bisphenol A is found in plastic used for bottles, but the authorities say very low levels of the chemical are unlikely to harm one's health
Cheryl Tan, Straits Times 22 Nov 09;

IT regional manager Kenny Leow is not kidding when he says he does not like plastics.

When he buys takeaway food that is packed in plastic containers, he rushes home to pour it out onto porcelain plates.

As far as possible, he shuns the material commonly used to make water bottles, food storage containers and baby milk bottles.

The reason: He is avoiding exposure to a potentially toxic chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), which studies have linked to cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It is also known to affect the body's hormones and reproductive systems.

Although BPA is found in only the type of plastic known as polycarbonate plastic, Mr Leow is taking no chances.

'We use so much plastics now and we don't know how much the chemical is absorbed into the body,' he says, explaining his cautious ways.

Besides being present in polycarbonate plastic, a material popular for its light weight, versatility and durability, BPA is found in the lining of canned food, compact discs, adhesives, paper coatings and dental sealants.

'The authorities say the chemical is safe now but we don't know what's going to happen 30 years down the road,' says the 36-year-old, who uses only glass or clay pots in his kitchen for cooking, just in case the coating on non-stick pots and pans has harmful substances that have not yet been reported.

A study released last week in the United States confirmed that exposure to high levels of BPA could cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in men.

The study was conducted on 634 male workers at four factories in China who were exposed to high levels of BPA. It is the first of its kind to be done on humans.

All previous studies on BPA were conducted on laboratory animals.

According to Assistant Professor Barry Kelly from the division of environmental science and engineering at the National University of Singapore, BPA can leach into water and food under any temperature or environmental conditions.

He also advises against using polycarbonate bottles for hot liquids or heating them to boiling point as this 'increases the rate of BPA migration into hot water' by 50 times compared to the rate at room temperature.

Dr Robert Bernstein, CEO of Bernstein Consultants, says 'the primary source of exposure to BPA for most people is through the diet'.

Air, dust and water are other possible sources of exposure. His firm provides consultancy advice about public health to governments and the private industry.

Mr Goh Shih Yong, spokesman for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), says: 'Low migration levels of BPA would not cause harm if they are within the safe migration limit.

'But the AVA is closely monitoring new scientific developments as well as the latest recommendations made by international food safety authorities on the safety of BPA.'

The European Union (EU) has established a safe migration limit of 0.6mg of BPA per kg of food, which means that if the limit is observed, the migration of BPA into food does not present a health risk in humans, including babies, even after long-term exposure to it.

Canada, however, has a much stricter standard. Its safe limit is 600 parts per billion, which works out to be about 1,000 times lower than is accepted in the EU.

Like Canada, Mr Leow prefers to err on the side of caution.

Apart from keeping plastic out of the kitchen, he buys only food packaged in glass containers from supermarkets and uses BPA-free plastic milk bottles to feed his 10-month-old son, Matthias.

He also drinks out of only Nalgene bottles, a hard plastic water carrier brand that has a wide range of BPA-free models.

But just more than a year ago, Nalgene, too, had come under attack in the US and Canada for products which contained BPA.

In Singapore, BPA-free plastic products became more widely available only about 1 1/2 years ago, about the same time when awareness about the chemical started to grow.

Mr Leow, who insists on using only BPA-free products for his son, had to search online for BPA-free milk bottles. He says: 'BPA-free products are easily available in the market now, compared to more than 10 months ago.'

First Few Years supervisor Candy Ong says 95 per cent of the milk bottles sold at the store are BPA-free. The shop specialises in selling baby supplies at Paragon shopping centre and KK Women's & Children's Hospital.

The hospital also stocks BPA-free bottles at its own pharmacy.

Ms Ong adds that the store has seen nearly a 60 per cent jump in demand for BPA-free milk bottles since the negative effects of the chemical that was found in the older milk bottles were exposed about 11/2 years ago.

'There is a high level of awareness now. Parents are more educated and Internet-savvy,' she adds.

Mothercare, a baby supply chain store, has also updated its milk-bottle collection this year to include BPA-free ones.

Sports coach Tham Wai Yee, 35, has since switched from using glass bottles to BPA-free plastic milk bottles for her seven-month-old son.

She says: 'If I can reduce my son's exposure to BPA, I will try. But once he grows up, it's up to him to make his own choice.'

How to reduce exposure

# Avoid plastic containers with the plastic identification code 7, which represents polycarbonate plastics.

# Do not pour boiling water into polycarbonate containers. Hot water in contact with the plastic could cause BPA migration.

# Do not microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. BPA might leach into food due to prolonged exposure at high temperatures.

# Use alternatives such as glass bottles, porcelain or stainless steel containers for hot foods and liquids.

# Opt for fresh or frozen foods instead of canned foods.

# Use infant formula bottles and look for toys that are labelled BPA-free.