The Truth Behind BPA

Common Questions & Answers About Bisphenol A (BPA)

Most of us have heard about BPA at some point or another, but do you really know what it is, where it’s found, or how to avoid it?

Being in our industry, we get asked lots of questions from consumers looking for more information or answers to these particular issues. Here are some of the most common questions in bold and our answers below.

 

What exactly is BPA? 

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a known carcinogen found in petroleum based products such as hard plastics and can even be in plastic water bottles.

What makes BPA so toxic is it acts as a hormone disrupter. By mimicking the body’s natural production of estrogen, it upsets your hormonal balance.

I’ve heard about that, but it doesn’t effect me.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “93% of Americans excrete some BPA in their urine.“ (Time Magazine, 2008). That number increases to 96% when surveying women in the United States.

It is estimated that more than 6 billion pounds of BPA are produced each year. That’s approximately 1 pound for every person on the planet!

 

So what? I’ve been drinking water from plastic bottles all my life, I haven’t had any problems.

While that may be true, BPA has been linked to numerous health issues and potentially life threatening complications. The debate now is over exposure levels.

BPA has been shown to cause:

Increased Risk of Heart Disease

Hormone Disruption (especially for children & pregnant mothers)

Thyroid Issues

Obesity

Brain Development / neurological issues in non-human primates

Increased risk for breast & prostate cancers

Reproductive Difficulties

Decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in cancer patients.

  

What is being done about it?

Health Canada has gone so far as to call it “toxic to human health and the environment.”

In 2011, California passed the Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act, which banned BPA from being used in baby bottles and sippy cups.

Gasoline producer Sunoco refuses to sell the chemical to companies that produce food or water containers for children.

Despite all this, the EPA refuses to take a stand against the chemical saying “EPA does not intend to initiate regulatory action under TSCA at this time on the basis of risks to human health.”

 

What can I do to limit my exposure?

Exposure to BPA is somewhat inevitable as a result of our reliance on plastics. However, there are things you can do to limit your BPA exposure.

Our first recommendation is to avoid the large 2.5 and 5-gallon hard plastic containers of water. Many people have a monthly subscription to Sparkletts or Arrowhead and have water delivered to their homes. Unfortunately, these hard plastics are often riddled with BPA and when exposed to warmer temperatures or direct sunlight, leach the chemical into the water.

Our next suggestion is to stop buying single-use bottles of water entirely. Have you ever left your water in the car for a day or two only to drink it later and wonder why it tastes funny? The plastic leaches into the water from the container and that is what you’re tasting!

While eliminating BPA from your life may be challenging, you can certainly take steps to control your sources of exposure.

 

What about your ClearlyFiltered bottles? Do they have BPA in them?

All of our products are made from 100% BPA Free, Non-leaching, Medical Grade plastics.

We believe in delivering the cleanest water possible and a big part of that is starting with the right container.

BPA is a serious health issue and we guarantee that our products do not contain any traces of BPA.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1855853,00.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/plastic/page4.htm#bisphenol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A