BPA Q & A
Bisphenol A Found in Drink Cans, Health Canada Study
Testing by Health Canada has revealed that 96% of canned drinks contain Bisphenol A. The survey covered over 84% of canned soft drinks sold in Canada, including non-carbonated, carbonated, non-diet, diet, fruit-flavoured and energy drinks.
The federal government has yet to take action on the regulation of BPA in these products.
Click here to find out how you can help ban bisphenol A in all food and beverage containers.
Bisphenol A “Toxic", Canadian Government Announces - Oct. 17, 2008
What does the federal government’s announcement mean?
The government of Canada has looked at scientific studies and data on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) and has designated this chemical as “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). This means that bisphenol A will be placed on the List of Toxic Substances (Schedule 1) of CEPA. By putting bisphenol A on the List of Toxic Substances, the government can then take various types of actions, such as regulations, guidelines or code of practice, for any part of the chemical’s life-cycle from the research and development stage through to manufacture, use, storage, transport and ultimate disposal or recycling.
Definition of “toxic.”
“A substance is toxic if it is entering or may enter the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that:
a)have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity;
b)constitute or may constitute a danger to the environment on which life depends; or
c)constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health” (Section 64 of CEPA).
The government assessed the likelihood and the amount of bisphenol A being released into the Canadian environment, and the harm it might cause to human health and ecosystems at present levels.
Has any other country regulated bisphenol A?
No. Canada is now the first national jurisdiction to designate bisphenol A as ‘toxic’ to human health and the environment, and to begin implementing regulation on the use of this chemical. However, other countries might follow Canada’s lead.
What happens next to bisphenol A in Canadian products?
The federal announcement included a plan for regulating bispenol A. The government has banned bisphenol A in baby bottles and set limits on the presence of bisphenol A in canned baby food.
The government’s assessment and regulatory plan are posted on the Canadian Gazette webpage and are part of the of the government’s Chemicals Management Plan that is reviewing 200 chemicals.
At this pace, it can take up to four years until any government regulations come into effect.
Why is bisphenol A a concern to human health?
Scientific studies show bisphenol A can play havoc with hormones. The chemical is associated with adverse health effects: prostate and breast cancer, immune system dysfunction, early puberty in females, and higher rates of miscarriage.
Most recently, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association linked, for the first time, ‘normal’ levels of bisphenol A in a large human population in the U.S. with higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
International organizations, expert panels and more than 150 peer-reviewed studies have associated bisphenol A with a variety of health problems (obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer and a wide range of developmental problems), often at surprisingly low levels of exposure.
Health Canada’s own assessment of bisphenol A noted that this chemical can accumulate in the womb, exposing the fetus to levels higher than for other stages in their lives. In addition, bisphenol A has been detected in breast milk at levels nearly as high as those found in infant formula. There is also significant evidence that bisphenol A is acutely toxic to aquatic organisms, and the chemical has been found in surface waters, sediment, groundwater and other areas in the environment.
What makes baby bottles toxic? What’s the problem with them?
Many hard plastic baby bottles are made with polycarbonate plastic that contains bisphenol A.
When polycarbonate bottles are heated and/or exposed to detergents/scrubbing the bonds degrade and bisphenol A is able to leach out.
Scientific studies show bisphenol A can play havoc with hormones. The chemical is associated with adverse health effects: prostate and breast cancer, immune system dysfunction, early puberty in females, and higher rates of miscarriage.
How harmful is this chemical? Will babies get sick if they use these bottles?
Bisphenol A is a known hormone disruptor. An expert panel of scientists in the US expressed concern that bisphenol A exposure to children could affect their behaviour and nervous systems. Health Canada also identified this chemical as a concern for the health of human babies.
What dose of bisphenol A is harmful?
Recent scientific research shows that bisphenol A can be harmful at doses below the levels found leaching out of products like baby bottles and water bottles.
Children are especially vulnerable to bisphenol A because it is a hormone disruptor. As such, it can affect how their bodies grow and develop. Young children still have immature organ systems, high metabolic rates, relatively low bodyweight, and are going through rapid physical development. So, even low levels of repeated exposure may eventually lead to adverse health effects.
The recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association links higher concentration of bisphenol A in adults with higher rates of disease. The sample population surveyed in this study was likely exposed to bisphenol A from a variety of consumer products, indicating that ‘normal’ everyday exposure to this chemical can be harmful.
What baby bottles are safe to use?
Parents using hard plastic bottles and sippy cups can be fairly certain they contain bisphenol A. Look for recycling #7 and the letters ‘PC’ beside the recycling symbol- definitely contain bisphenol A. The letters PC refer to polycarbonate; Not all plastics with the recycling symbol #7 have bisphenol A.
Environmental Defence suggests that parents choose safer alternatives – glass baby bottles, or baby bottles made without bisphenol A.
Parents can also choose plastic bottles and sippy cups with recycling numbers #2,#5 - these do not contain bisphenol A.
Baby 411, the top-selling baby book in the US, now advises parents to replace all their plastic baby bottles that contain bisphenol A with safer alternatives.
Parents can get tips on how to avoid Toxic Baby Bottles on the Toxic Nation web site: www.toxicnation.ca.
Are you saying people should throw out their plastic baby bottles?
Parents should avoid using hard plastic baby bottles or sippy cups, and the general public should avoid plastic food and beverage containers made with bisphenol A. Instead, use glass or stainless steel. Or, look for alternatives that are labeled “bisphenol A free”. Parents can also choose plastic bottles and sippy cups with recycling numbers #2,#5 - these do not contain bisphenol A.
There is concern that bisphenol A leaches out of landfill sites in leachate and can contaminate surface waters and harm the environment
Try sending your bisphenol A laden products back to their manufacturer or your retailer, otherwise check your local municipality or city for recycling possibilities.
What about recycling bisphenol A products?
Stewardship Ontario states: “Polycarbonate bottles are recycled and used to make consumer products such as, automobile parts, playground equipment and toys, material for clothing, and many other consumer products.”
In general, polycarbonate products are not recycled by most communities, however, if the demand exists local recycling capacity can be expanded to collect polycarbonates.
Recycling seems to be the best solution for disposal of bisphenol A products, because we do not want this chemical to accumulate and leach out of our landfill sites.
What can you do to get bisphenol A out of products like baby bottles and the lining of tins cans?
- Support our campaign work by donating to Environmental Defence
- Sign-up for the Toxic Nation e-Newsletter for regular updates on the campaign and news on bisphenol A.
- Log on to www.toxicnation.ca to get details of the government’s assessment of bisphenol A and find out how to submit a comment directly to government.
- Send a letter to the federal government to move forward with full-fledged regulatory measures to eliminate bisphenol A in food and beverage containers.
Want to learn more?
Check out our Toxic Nation Guide to Toxic Baby Bottles: How to Avoid Bisphenol A and our Toxic Nation Guide to Bisphenol A. Téléchargement Le Guide Toxic Nation des biberons toxiques (the Toxic Nation Guide to Toxic Baby Bottles in French). Read our report Toxic Baby Bottles in Canada: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular Brands of Polycarbonate Baby Bottles on how popular brands of baby bottles leach bisphenol A.