About 20 years ago we were all throwing out bottles and food packaging that contained BPA. The words BPA stand for (bisphenol A) – it’s a chemical used to make hard, clear plastics and protective resin linings inside metal cans. It helps plastics stay strong and heat-resistant, but small amounts can migrate into food and drinks. But the chemical is an endocrine disruptor, hurting our bodies in a number of ways.

We’ve come a lot further since BPA. We now have microplastrics and PFASs to worry about. Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are man-made chemicals and products made to repel water, grease, and stains. They’re in firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing (yes, they’ve been used by the eco-darling Patagonia), stain-resistant carpets, fast-food packaging that seem like paper but which are water-proof, and many industrial processes.

PFASs don’t break down, and they escape factories, landfills, and training sites into soil and groundwater, eventually reaching our drinking water. Wastewater plants can’t fully remove them, so they circulate in rivers and crops too. Long-term exposure has been linked to immune, hormone, and cancer risks.

This report on Green Prophet explores PFAS in German drinking water.

Consumers can reduce exposure by limiting grease-proof packaging, choosing PFAS-free textiles and cookware, and supporting water testing and filtration in their communities. And now the EU is taking a bold step in making sure all European Union member states worked to monitor and reduce PFAS levels in drinking water. Consider that if you live in Iraq, PFAS are the last thing you need to worry about – European, American and Chinese oil companies are leaking crude oil right into the water, and they know about it.

But those same Europeans who want to make the world a better place, at least where they live, has created a  Drinking Water Directive. Don’t click on that link if you have an aversion to bureaucratic policy speak.

According to a press release sent out, EU countries will need to inform the commission on PFAS in water, including data on exceedances of the limit values. According to the commission, rife with overpaid bureaucrats who engage in political activities against western values,  the new reporting system is reportedly “simpler than under the previous Drinking Water Directive and reduces the amount of data to be reported.

“It is the first time systematic monitoring of PFAS in drinking water is being implemented in the EU,” they write.

What happens if your country exceeds the limits put in place? The EU countries must inform the public, and protect public health. Actions may include closing contaminated wells, adding treatment steps to remove PFAS, or restricting the use of drinking water supplies for as long as the violation continues.

The UE believes that people should have access to safe drinking water.

If you are from a non-EU country and are concerned about PFAS in your drinking water, take these guidelines to your ministry or oversight group in your region or country dealing with water monitoring.

The EU says that the guidelines were developed with member states.

“PFAS pollution is a growing concern for drinking water across Europe. With harmonised limits and mandatory monitoring now in force, Member States have the rules and tools to swiftly detect and address PFAS to protect public health, says Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and Competitive Circular Economy.

How to remove PFAS from your tap water at home?

Next question for readers and entrepreneurs? The most common in-home water filters that remove PFAS are activated carbon filters like those found in a Brita Elite jug or Berkey filter, but the best is reverse osmosis and undersink-ROs like Aquafor.

In Canada and the US, the main Berkey-style gravity water filter options people compare are Berkey, ProOne, British Berkefeld, Alexapure, and Waterdrop.

Dual stage filters (activated carbon + reverse osmosis) the best option.

If you are taking minerals out of the water, you do need to put them back in. The  company Mayu developed a novel method to rejuvenate purified water after understanding how “dirty” tap water has become. And on that note, here are 6 ways to soften hard water naturally.

The post Forever chemicals banned from Europe’s drinking water appeared first on Green Prophet.

Microplastics are tiny bits of plastics less than 5mm in size and they are everywhere. More than 10 years ago we championed reporting on the issue, covering the growing plastic gyres the size of countries in the Pacific Ocean – remember when we interviewed David de Rothschild about it? Microplastics are choking the seas, they are rolling around deserts where we breath them in, and recently are being found in the stool (poop) of newborns.

More worrying is that microplastics themselves are not inert, and they have the ability to pull along other environmental toxins with them, amplifying the toxicity effect, finds a new research study. 

“Microplastics are a kind of magnet for environmental pollutants, ferrying them through our digestive tract, and releasing them in a concentrated form in certain areas – thus causing increased toxicity,” report researchers in the journal Chemosphere. 

The researchers in the study from Tel Aviv University found that microplastics absorb and concentrate toxic organic substances at sea and increase this toxicity by a factor of 10, which may lead to a severe impact on human health. The study was led by Ines Zucker together with Ph.D. student Andrey Eitan Rubin. 

What exactly are microplastics again?

Microplastics are a general name for plastic materials that appear in a configuration of particles and microscopic fibers the size of tens of microns and up to a few millimeters. 

Microplastics are found almost everywhere: in water wells, in soil, airborne in deserts, in food products, in water bottles, and even in glaciers at the North Pole. The researchers explain that since plastic is not a natural material, it decomposes very slowly in nature, over thousands of years. Throughout the process, the microplastic particles encounter environmental pollutants that attach to plastic surfaces, and as a pair, they may pose a threat to the health of the environment and to humans.                  

Heading towards the Great Pacific Garbage Patch                                              

Zucker explains: “In this study we showed that even very low concentrations of environmental pollutants, which are non-toxic to humans, [stick] to the microplastic result in significant increase in toxicity.

Andrey Eitan Rubin adds: “The amount of waste dumped into the ocean every year is enormous – the best known example is the plastic island in the Pacific Ocean, which has an area 80 times larger than the State of Israel. But this is not just a remote problem – from our preliminary monitoring data show that Israel’s shores are among the most polluted with microplastic waste.”

Each of the microplastic particles secreted in these areas has tremendous potential for harm as they serve as an effective and stable platform for any pollutant that they may encounter on their way to the human body, the researchers point out. 

How to avoid microplastics?

The solution?

Zero Waste Shops

Stop buying plastic in all sorts of ways. In Canada and Europe zero-waste stores encourage the refilling of your own brought-from-home bags, jars and containers. In Israel my friend Alison has started a company called WeFill where you subscribe to a service that delivers dry goods and cleaning products in reusable sacks and containers that you send back with your new order every week. That’s a great way to start.

Google “refilling station for household and personal care products” and you will find a location that may do the same near you.

Water

Use tap water and purify it with a filter and refill stainless steel or glass bottles for everyday use.

Toys and Household

Avoid buying Dollar Store items (which emit other kinds of toxins) and purchase things you’d be happy to pass down. Toys made from wood and bamboo are a good start.

Fashion

Avoid synthetic clothing – which is hard to do. According to Plastic Soup: As consumers, we often feel hopeless when we hear about problems on such a global scale. Replacing your plastic bottle with a reusable one will not be enough this time. Make sure you ventilate and vacuum your home frequently to ensure that the plastic fibers are being collected. 

When purchasing clothing or textiles for your home, choose sustainably sourced natural materials as much as possible. Try to stay away from fast fashion, as this model only encourages overconsumption of clothes, especially synthetic ones like polyester.

Or ask your favorite fashion brand to take responsibility for the clothes they put on the market. They must guarantee that their products do not put our environment, ourselves, and, most importantly, the next generations at risk.

The post Microplastics are pairing up with pollutants. This is bad news. appeared first on Green Prophet.

Like fast food, Dollar Store and Dollar Tree items are cheap, feel good and offer a temporary fix. Dollar Stores and the concept of buying low quality throwaway plastic goods resonates with everyone but especially with lower income families and people with people of color. A new report finds that 54% of all the products tested at Dollar Stores contain hazardous chemicals linked to cancer, learning disabilities and serious illnesses.

On the eve of the Dollar Tree/Family Dollar annual shareholder meeting, the Campaign for Healthier Solutions – a group of over 200 health, science-based, environmental justice organizations in the United States – released a report about toxic chemicals in products at discount retailers, including Dollar General, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar, 99 Cents Only and Five Below.

The report — Toxic Chemicals in Dollar Store Products: 2021 Results — contains test results from over 200 products such as toys, jewelry, school supplies and other household items. Over half – 54% – contained at least one chemical of concern.

“Once again we have tested products at discount retailers and we are still finding the same harmful chemicals every time. These chemicals disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. Many of these communities already have multiple exposures because they are located in heavily industrialized areas,” said Jose T. Bravo, National Coordinator for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions.

“Fortunately, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar has expressed interest in cleaning up their supply chain, but Dollar General who this year reported 33 billion dollars in net sales, will not even respond to our requests to discuss the issue.”

BPA in canned foods

The following concerns were identified in the products tested in the new report:

Canned food contained toxic interior coatings that included BPA – a chemical associated with hormone disruption – and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which can contain plasticizers that are linked to asthma and other lung problems.

Pans and cookware were coated with BPA-based epoxy as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), linked to cancer, low infant birth weights, and immune system problems.

100% of microwave popcorn tested positive for PFAS coatings inside the packaging.

We thought this was behind us 10 years ago, but no. One hundred percent of store receipts contained Bisphenol S (BPS), an unfortunate substitute for BPA with similar health risks. Imagine if you are working at these shops as a cashier?

Consumer electronics contained lead in the solder, a toxic metal that harms brain development and could impact the workers who put these products together. These electronics also contained toxic flame retardants and phthalate plasticizers, linked to birth defects, reduced fertility, cancer, learning disabilities, diabetes, and other health issues.

A variety of products contained other chemicals of concern, including antimony compounds, associated with respiratory irritation and organotins associated with hormone disruption.

Earlier this year, the fifth annual Mind the Store report card was released, ranking 50 companies according to their level of chemical safety in products. Dollar Tree/Family Dollar was one of the most improved, going from a D+ in the last report to a C+ in 2021. Dollar Tree/Family Dollar has met with the Campaign for Healthier Solutions and recently expressed a commitment to clean up their supply chain.

They have also publicly released a chemical policy, a commitment to eliminate priority chemicals, and a pollinator protector policy, and have stated in private that they plan to expand the number of chemicals that they are phasing out, as well as the number of products they will be cleaning up.

“We’re very encouraged with the communication that we’ve had with Dollar Tree/Family Dollar,” said Bravo. “We’ve made a lot of inroads with their chemical policy to protect customers, workers and the company’s bottom line, and encourage other dollar store chains to be just as transparent in their chemical policies and commitments to improve.”

Dollar General, which received a C- grade in the 2021 report card, has not responded to any recent communication from the Campaign for Healthier Solutions about expanding their list of restricted substances and product categories that they are focusing on.

Although Dollar General received positive attention last week for selling fresh groceries at some stores, they halted communication with the AgriCultura Network (ACN) in Albuquerque, a partner of the Campaign for Healthier Solution. During a face-to-face discussion between ACN and Dollar General in 2019, some parameters were set around certifications that ACN needed to become a local vendor. The project has since come to a standstill. This is an important pilot project because it would potentially give Dollar General a source for locally-grown produce and shelf-stable products directly from community gardens.

“Dollar Stores are often the most convenient places for busy families to purchase snacks and meals,” said Helga Garcia-Garza , Executive Director of the AgriCultura Network. “We will not stop fighting until we know these stores are not selling toxic products, including food, especially products targeted for children.”

99 Cents Only Stores have done nothing to phase out toxic chemicals. They have earned an F grade with zero points on the Retailer Report Card for the third year in a row, landing them in the Toxic Hall of Shame.

Many of the products in Five Below stores are targeted toward children. Still, 66% of the products in the new report from Five Below tested positive for at least one chemical of concern. Although Five Below is a new target for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions, the group’s members are hopeful that they will soon be ready to begin eliminating hazardous chemicals from their products.

The good news is that there was some improvement from the Campaign’s 2015 product testing report – A Day Late and a Dollar Short: Discount Retailers are Falling Behind on Safer Chemicals. At that time, 164 products were tested and over 81% contained at least one chemical of concern, including lead in children’s jewelry, which was not found in the latest round of testing.

“We hope discount retailers will phase out these harmful chemicals once and for all,” said Bravo. “Until then, we will continue testing and releasing the results.”

The post More than half of Dollar Store products contain toxins that can hurt you appeared first on Green Prophet.

Stunning news for everyone who drinks from plastic bottles, eats from plastic food containers,or wraps food with plastic cling wrap.

The chemical BPA mimics the natural hormone estrogen which is critical for brain and organ development and essential bodily functions. Research proves that too much or too little of estrogen, particularly during gestation and early childhood, leaves us susceptible to later disease including breast cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and behavioral disorders.

For years, public campaigns have waged war against BPA-containing plastics due to concerns about exposure to synthetic estrogen. But new research shows that plastic products advertised as “BPA-free” are still releasing the chemical.

Examples include plastic products sold by Evenflo, Nalgene and Tupperware – common brands found in many households. Substitutes aside, BPA is still widely used in many every day items from soup can linings to printed receipts.

BPA dangers were broadcast as early as 2008. Customers began demanding BPA-free products, particularly for children, and the substance was soonafter banned in bottles and “sippy cups” in the USA, EU, Canada, and other countries – but not worldwide.

Manufacturers introduced BPA-free products, but most of the chemicals used to replace BPA had not been tested to see whether they mimicked estrogen. It turns out that many of them do, with similar effects on human health.

Investigative reporter Mariah Blake also revealed how the plastics industry has used a “Big Tobacco-style campaign” to bury the disturbing scientific evidence. She states that about 80,000 chemicals are used in US manufacturing; virtually none has been tested for safety.

“In general, chemicals are presumed safe until proven otherwise under the U.S. regulatory system. So, when a chemical like BPA is removed from a production line, the industry will substitute another chemical that is untested, and we really, in many cases, just don’t know the health effects of that chemical. So, it’s largely an unregulated realm, ” said Blake in a video interview. (Watch the full interview – link here.)

Last week, a study estimated that continued use of BPA in food and drinks packaging is responsible for $3 billion a year in healthcare costs. Maybe time for a resurgence of jelly-jar glasses, cooking only enough food for any particular purpose, and of course, breastfeeding.

Image of a toddler drinking from sippy cup from Shutterstock

The post No plastics safe? Industry hides frightening evidence on BPA-free baby bottles appeared first on Green Prophet.

BPA though banned in products like baby bottles is still all around us. An ‘estrogen mimicker’, it has been linked to precocious puberty in females and the feminization of males including urogenital defects and malformed penises.

Plastics that are labeled with a number 7 contain BPA. While governments around the world have taken measures to reduce exposure to this chemical, estimates are that up to 90 percent of humans have traces in their bodies. So we have to ask, where is the BPA, or Bisphenol A, coming from? Read on to find out good reasons why you should limit plastic in your lives, including what’s in your food, and every bit of plastic that goes into your kid’s mouth.

The state of California recently put another nail in BPA’s coffin, listing it as a reproductive toxin.

The downside is that this ruling by the Food and Drug Administrations has no direct bearing on consumers in the Middle East. A ban on BPA in bottles is insufficient in the long term, failing to address the many sources of this compound or the long list of other compounds tweaking our reproductive health.

It is simply insufficient protection against the potential harm to all of us.

The Wall Street Journal reports: “BPA is found in hundreds of plastic items from water bottles to CDs to dental sealants. Some researchers say ingesting the chemical can interfere with development of the reproductive and nervous systems in babies and young children.”

They Wall Street Journal article point to dozens of studies showing such an effect from BPA in rodents and other animals.

It continues: “But the FDA has repeatedly stated that those findings cannot be applied to humans. The federal government is currently spending $30 million on its own studies assessing the chemical’s health effects on humans.

“It is estimated that ‘about 90 percent of Americans have traces of BPA in their urine, mainly as a result of food and beverage packaging.”

Despite the FDA’s caution regarding applying the results of animal studies to human outcomes, consumer groups have taken a stronger stance

For example, the Plastic Pollution Coalition of which Green Prophet is a member states that “the alarm over the widespread use of BPA is entirely warranted.

“BPA has been linked with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, breast and prostate cancer, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, infertility, erectile dysfunction, and learning and attention-related disorders.”

They reference a review of more than 800 studies published recently in the journal Endocrine Reviews which shows that even extremely small doses of BPA can be toxic.

“The study authors conclude that due to the effects of low doses of hormone-disrupting chemicals, ‘fundamental changes in chemical testing and safety determination are needed to protect human health’.”

BPA is just one worrisome compound in some plastics.  According to an October 2011 list compiled by TEDx’s Endocrine Disruption Exchange, there are at least 870 known chemicals that can mimic hormones and therefore alter our bodies and our systems.

In a May 2012 article on harmful chemicals, Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times wrote that “nation’s safety system for endocrine disruptors is broken.”

Citing several studies and conclusions by scientists  – linking things like congenital birth defects in boys to micro-penises in alligators – it’s the opinion of this author that regulatory agencies and governments around the world have essentially failed to protect their citizens from a decades long assault on our sexual and reproductive health.

Kristoff writes: “Scientists have long known the tiniest variations in hormone levels influence fetal development. For example, a female twin is very slightly masculinized if the other twin is a male, because she is exposed to some of his hormones. Studies have found that these female twins, on average, end up slightly more aggressive and sensation-seeking as adults but have lower rates of eating disorders.”

Why after almost 20 years since the term endocrine disrupters was coined are we still so exposed and at risk from these chemicals? Aside from a failure of adaquate protection, in part it may also be because most don’t fully appreciate how nuanced and sensitive the endocrine system is.

It takes very little of a hormone, synthetic or not, to impact us. Microscopic levels of exposure (parts per billions), the timing of exposure (fetal exposure is often far riskier) or long-term damage (in some cases, it is children of those who were exposed who suffer the consequences) means we are all at risk.

What can you do besides avoid plastic bottles with or without BPA? The answer is simple: Avoid plastics all together. We dare you!

Image via Boston Public Library

The post BPA Is Now a Reproductive Toxin in the US – Be Wary of All Plastics appeared first on Green Prophet.

Worldwide close to 50 million couples are unable to conceive after five years of trying, states a recent report.

A recent World Health Organization report of 277 national surveys estimates that infertility rates have remained consistent over the past 20 years, with North Africa and the Middle East showing the strongest negative trends in reproductive fertility.

Gretchen Stevens of WHO led the study, which looked at fertility trends in 190 countries.  Researchers found that 1.9% of women over the age of 20 who wanted a child were unable to conceive, while 10.5% of those who had already given birth were unable to have another child.

Rates varied across regions, with the Middle East and North Africa showing a higher level of increased infertility (2.6%), compared to other regions (1.6%).

According to ScienceDaily.com, the study stated that, “Independent from population growth and worldwide declines in the preferred number of children, we found little evidence of changes in infertility over two decades, apart from in the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.”

According to the Mayo clinic, the cause or causes of infertility can involve one or both partners, with one third being due to the male partner, one third the female and one third involving both the man and woman.

Growing concerns about the role of environmental toxins on fertility have led many to advocate for better research and reduced exposure to agents thought to harm reproductive health.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States now reports that, “research suggests that environmental contaminants can affect a woman’s menstruation and ovulation. Low-level exposures to compounds such as phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, and pesticides are suspected risk factors.”

Not only do these toxins affect females. We’ve previously reported on the impact of BPA on reproductive health and motility and Wifi use on sperm motility.

image of pregancy, Shutterstock

More sexual health news:

BPA is One of Hundreds of Endocrine Disrupters

Laughter and Medical Clowns Improve Fertility?

The post WHO: Global Fertility Rates Mostly Holding Steady (Middle East exception) appeared first on Green Prophet.

Score one small victory for consumer groups and ecosexuals everywhere: The United State’s ban on bisphenol-A or BPA is a small step towards ending our romance with toxins. That’s the good news. The downside is that this ruling by the Food and Drug Administrations has no direct bearing on consumers in the Middle East. A ban on BPA in bottles is insufficient in the long term, failing to address the many sources of this compound or the long list of other compounds tweaking our reproductive health.

BPA is a hormonally active chemical found in everything from cash register receipts to soup and beverage cans to plastic wrap and bottles. An ‘estrogen mimicker’, it has been linked to precocious puberty in females and the feminization of males including urogenital defects, such as penises that are malformed, among other things.

It is simply insufficient protection against the potential harm to all of us.

The Wall Street Journal reports: “BPA is found in hundreds of plastic items from water bottles to CDs to dental sealants. Some researchers say ingesting the chemical can interfere with development of the reproductive and nervous systems in babies and young children. They point to dozens of studies showing such an effect from BPA in rodents and other animals.

“But the FDA has repeatedly stated that those findings cannot be applied to humans. The federal government is currently spending $30 million on its own studies assessing the chemical’s health effects on humans.

“It is estimated that ‘about 90 percent of Americans have traces of BPA in their urine, mainly as a result of food and beverage packaging.

Despite the FDA’s caution regarding applying the results of animal studies to human outcomes, consumer groups have taken a stronger stance

For example, the Plastic Pollution Coalition states that “the alarm over the widespread use of BPA is entirely warranted. BPA has been linked with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, breast and prostate cancer, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, infertility, erectile dysfunction, and learning and attention-related disorders.”

They reference a review of more than 800 studies published last month in the journal Endocrine Reviews [that] shows that even extremely small doses of BPA can be toxic.

“The study authors conclude that due to the effects of low doses of hormone-disrupting chemicals, “fundamental changes in chemical testing and safety determination are needed to protect human health.”

BPA is just one worrisome compound in some plastics.  According to an October 2011 list compiled by TEDx’s Endocrine Disruption Exchange, there are at least 870 known chemicals that can mimic hormones and therefore alter our bodies and our systems.

In a May 2012 article on harmful chemicals, Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times wrote that “nation’s safety system for endocrine disruptors is broken.”

Citing several studies and conclusions by scientists  – linking things like congenital birth defects in boys to micro-penises in alligators – it’s the opinion of this author that regulatory agencies and governments around the world have essentially failed to protect their citizens from a decades long assault on our sexual and reproductive health.

Kristoff writes: “Scientists have long known the tiniest variations in hormone levels influence fetal development. For example, a female twin is very slightly masculinized if the other twin is a male, because she is exposed to some of his hormones. Studies have found that these female twins, on average, end up slightly more aggressive and sensation-seeking as adults but have lower rates of eating disorders.”

Why after almost 20 years since the term endocrine disrupters was coined are we still so exposed and at risk from these chemicals? Aside from a failure of adaquate protection, in part it may also be because mos don’t fully appreciate how nuanced and sensitive the endocrine system is.

It takes very little of a hormone, synthetic or not, to impact us. Microscopic levels of exposure (parts per billions), the timing of exposure (fetal exposure is often far riskier) or long-term damage (in some cases, it is children of those who were exposed who suffer the consequences) means we are all at risk.

What can you do besides avoid plastic bottles with or without BPA? The answer is simple: Avoid plastics all together.

Read More BPA News:
BPA Chemical Banned From Baby Bottles, Cups in the US
BPA Disrupts the Quality of Eggs Retrieved in IVF Treatment
BPA- What’s the Big Deal, Baby?
The author is a regular contributor to Greenprophet.com and blogs at www.tinamariebernard.com.

Image of hormones by Shutterstock

The post BPA is One of Hundreds of Endocrine Disrupters appeared first on Green Prophet.

America, next to some European countries, has the most stringent environmental policies on health and safety. In 2008 America’s Food and Health Administrations (the FDA) declared BPA, or bisphenol A, an estrogen mimic used in plastics, as safe. But in 2010 it started backpedaling over concerns that it might have health risks, especially in children. Yesterday it was announced that BPA is now banned in baby bottles and sippy cups across America. What does that mean for the health of babies around the planet?

“FDA is amending the food additive regulations to no longer allow BPA in the plastic used to make baby bottles and sippy cups,” said Curtis Allen, an FDA spokesman in an official announcement. “As a result, consumers can be confident that these products do not contain BPA.”

Many manufacturers in America and around the world have stopped adding BPA to their plastic products. Usually those companies that have made the effort to stop using BPA in their products widely advertise it as “BPA free.”

For women in the Middle East who might not have regulatory bodies guarding them and their children, be on the lookout for BPA-free products when buying anything for your baby or small child. That includes a BPA-free label in bottles, sippy cups, soothers, and even in the plastic used in breast pump containers and pipes.

BPA is an industrial chemical that has been present in many hard plastic bottles and metal-based food and beverage cans since the 1960s.

According to the FDA, studies employing standardized toxicity tests have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA.

But now they admit, that there is “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.”

Women who are pregnant or who are thinking about becoming pregnant should also consider refraining from using BPA products, this Green Prophet suggests.

Environmentalists in America agree that even more vigilance should be taken on making sure that BPA is removed from all our food and beverage containers.

Where can you find BPA? It’s in a type of clear and hard plastics called polycarbonate which is used in water and soda bottles. It is in the resin linings of food and beverage cans as well as in the containers of infant formula. It’s ubiquitous and some experts warn that the ban for baby products is largely symbolic, and that wider bans need to be enforced.

Image of baby and bottle from Shutterstock

The post BPA Chemical Banned from Baby Bottles, Cups in the US appeared first on Green Prophet.