There are seven classes of plastics used in packaging applications. Type 7 is the catch-all "other" class, and some type 7 plastics, such as polycarbonate (sometimes identified with the letters "PC" near the recycling symbol) and epoxy resins, are made from bisphenol A monomer.[5][19]
Type 3 (PVC) can also contain bisphenol A as an antioxidant in plasticizers.[5] This is particularly true for "flexible PVC", but not true for PVC pipes.
Types 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (polypropylene), and 6 (polystyrene) do not use bisphenol A during polymerization or package forming.[citation needed] [20]
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Bisphenol A has been known to be leached from the plastic lining of canned foods[117] and, to a lesser degree,[citation needed]polycarbonate plastics, especially those that are cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high-temperature liquids. A recent Health Canada study found that the majority of canned soft drinks it tested had low, but measurable levels of bisphenol A.[118] This exposure through metal cans is due to the fact that BPA is an ingredient in the internal coating of food and beverage metal cans used to protect the food from direct contact with metal. While most human exposure is through diet, exposure can also occur through air and through skin absorption.[119]
Studies by the CDC found bisphenol A in the urine of 95% of adults sampled in 1988–1994[122] and in 93% of children and adults tested in 2003–04.[123] Infants fed with liquid formula are among the most exposed, and those fed formula from polycarbonate bottles can consume up to 13 micrograms of bisphenol A per kg of body weight per day
In 2009, a study found that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increased urinary bisphenol A levels by two thirds, from 1.2 micrograms/gram creatinine to 2 micrograms/gram creatinine.[126]
Consumer groups recommend that people wishing to lower their exposure to bisphenol A avoid canned food and polycarbonate plastic containers (which shares resin identification code 7 with many other plastics) unless the packaging indicates the plastic is bisphenol A-free.[127] The National Toxicology Panel recommends avoiding microwaving food in plastic containers, putting plastics in the dishwasher, or using harsh detergents, to avoid leaching.
A 2009 small US study funded by the EWG has detected an average of 2.8 ng/mL BPA in the blood of 9 out of the 10 umbilical cords tested.
In the US and Canada, BPA has been found in infant liquid formula in concentrations varying from 0.48 to 11 ng/g.[130][131] BPA has been rarely found in infant powder formula (only 1 of 14).[130]
In the US consumption of soda, school lunches, and meals prepared outside the home was statistically significantly associated with higher urinary BPA.[132]
A 2010 study of Austrian, Swiss and German population has suggested polycarbonate (PC) baby bottles as the most prominent role of exposure for infants, and canned food for adults and teenagers.[133]
Food Safety Bill Saga Continues as Congress Bickers Over BPA Ban
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Trying to Add BPA Ban to Food Safety Legislation
Industry execs say there's no safe alternative to BPA, that's just not true. Eden Organic crafted BPA-free cans for its organic beans.
Feinstein's call for BPA ban bill riles lobbies
The Food and Drug Administration has not declared BPA a risk to public health at current levels. The agency said studies using standard toxicity tests "have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA." It said new tests using "novel approaches to test for subtle effects" raise "some concern" and called for more studies.
Feinstein's legislation would put pressure on the industry to find an alternative by granting companies a renewable one-year waiver while they try to find a substitute and requiring in the meantime that they label their products as containing the chemical.
Thirty major chemical and food manufacturing industry groups have banded together to defeat Feinstein's efforts.
Food Safety Bill Saga Continues as Congress Bickers Over BPA Ban
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Trying to Add BPA Ban to Food Safety Legislation
Industry execs say there's no safe alternative to BPA, that's just not true. Eden Organic crafted BPA-free cans for its organic beans.
Feinstein's call for BPA ban bill riles lobbies
The Food and Drug Administration has not declared BPA a risk to public health at current levels. The agency said studies using standard toxicity tests "have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA." It said new tests using "novel approaches to test for subtle effects" raise "some concern" and called for more studies.
Feinstein's legislation would put pressure on the industry to find an alternative by granting companies a renewable one-year waiver while they try to find a substitute and requiring in the meantime that they label their products as containing the chemical.
Thirty major chemical and food manufacturing industry groups have banded together to defeat Feinstein's efforts.
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