BPA Plastic Bottles Might Kill You; Then Again, BPA Bottles Might Be Harmless

BPA plastic has come under scrutiny even by those who have no clue what BPA actually means, nor why BPA free water bottles are a good idea. The discussion about BPA bottles, or BPA free bottles, revolves around Bisphenol A, an organic amalgam cited with potentially upsetting endocrine functions in the body.

FDA Declares BPA Plastic Safe

The Associated Press reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not see BPA plastic or BPA free water bottles something to worry about. Even as critics lobbed the call for BPA free baby bottles over the virtual fence, the FDA remained surprisingly passive.

In a surprising bit of double speak, the AP quotes FDA additive safety head Laura Tarantino who asserts that BPA is cautiously concluded to be safe, while at the same time offering to the public suggestions for limiting their exposure to BPA plastic. She recommends staying away from plastic containers marked with the number "7" and not heating food in them.

CDC Records High Levels of BPA in Urinalysis Studies

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) weigh in on the Bisphenol A debate by alerting readers that BPA is found in 93% of urine samples collected from American volunteers. The CDC goes on to say that there are racial and socioeconomic factors that weigh in when it comes to the percentile distribution of BPA in the body.

Yet even the CDC stops short of condemning BPA bottles and instead calls for more studies.

What's The Problem with BPA?

The problem with BPA is the fact that nobody really knows exactly what BPA plastic will do to the body, the long term effects of the substance, and of course whether the fact that some studies are funded by the plastics manufacturers while others are funded by their most vociferous critics have any bearing on the results.

There is some proof from Tufts University School of Medicine that BPA may lead to a higher risk of breast cancer. Japan's Kyushu University weighs in with a study that showed rats experiencing gender changes when heightened levels of Bisphenol A were present.

Is There A Possible Washington Scandal Brewing?

Integrity in Science Watch reported as far back as February that the Weinberg Group, instrumental in consulting for chemical compound producers and sellers, sought to sway the public's and governmental opinion on the matter by any and all means necessary to achieve an outcome in keeping with its employers' wishes. Sure, they were just doing their jobs, but when a semi related memo surfaced that promised to create studies that would have the desired results needed, lawmakers took note.

This begs the question: whose studies and testimony is the FDA and CDC listening to? Whose authorities carry the most weight? And who paid for the studies?

Sources:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gTsjZEbDygH6At_ltaiqOWOIe89gD9380POG0
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/pdf/factsheet_bisphenol.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TC0-4M62KBX-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=ca343731a57c9ab95b386e02ca803d7f
http://cspinet.org/integrity/watch/200802111.html#5