Microplastics have infiltrated nearly every aspect of modern life, from the personal care products we use to the food we consume. These tiny plastic fragments, often smaller than a grain of rice, have been linked to potential health risks, including harm to the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems. Some studies even suggest they may contribute to serious conditions such as lung and colon cancer. A recent study says that humans may have as much as one teaspoon of microplastics in their brains!

We are just starting to learn about the effects of microplastics and as they build up in the body the effects may be irreversible.

According to a newly released scientific paper, three medical experts assert that switching from bottled water to filtered tap water could significantly decrease annual microplastic consumption—dropping it by about 90%, from 90,000 to 4,000 particles per year.

How to reduce exposure to microplastics 

Completely eliminating microplastic exposure is unlikely, given their widespread presence in the environment. However, the researchers, publishing in Genomic Press, emphasize that targeting the most significant sources of intake is a more practical strategy.

“The dramatic increase in brain microplastic concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming,” notes Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa’s Department of Psychiatry, lead author of the Commentary. “This rise mirrors the exponential increase we’re seeing in environmental microplastic levels.”

Bottled water remains one of the largest contributors to microplastic ingestion. Data from the beverage industry indicates that bottled water was the most popular packaged drink in the US last year, with Americans consuming 16.2 billion gallons—a 2% increase from 2023. However, plastic particles can shed into bottled water over time, especially when bottles are squeezed or exposed to heat.

“Bottled water alone can expose people to nearly as many microplastic particles annually as all ingested and inhaled sources combined,” says Dr. Brandon Luu, an Internal Medicine Resident at the University of Toronto. “Switching to tap water could reduce this exposure by almost 90%, making it one of the simplest ways to cut down on microplastic intake.”

Other significant sources include plastic tea bags, which can release millions of micro and nano-sized particles per brewing session. He also highlights that how we heat and store food matters. “Heating food in plastic containers—especially in the microwave—can release substantial amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics,” he explains. “Avoiding plastic food storage and using glass or stainless steel alternatives is a small but meaningful step in limiting exposure.

“While these changes make sense, we still need research to confirm whether lowering intake leads to reduced accumulation in human tissues.”

If switching to filtered tap water isn’t an option, there are other effective ways to limit microplastic exposure.

Beyond bottled water, alcohol and seafood have been identified as other significant dietary sources of microplastics. Fish swim in a sea of microplastics and when we eat fish, we eat the plastic too. Researchers also warn against heating food in plastic containers, as this practice can release millions of microplastic particles per square centimeter in just minutes. Microplastics are less than 5mm in size and some are not visible to the naked eye. They can fibers from clothes, fragments and beads, or pieces of film used in food packaging.

Other recommendations for reducing exposure include:

• Storing food in glass or stainless steel instead of plastic
• Limiting consumption of canned and highly processed foods
• Avoiding microwaving meals in plastic containers

One study found that highly processed foods, such as chicken nuggets, contained 30 times more microplastics per gram than unprocessed chicken breast. This underscores the role of industrial food processing, where plastics are often used in various stages of production.

The global plastic industry produces approximately 460 million metric tons of plastic annually, with projections suggesting this could rise to 1.1 billion metric tons by 2050. We already see research that shows that recycling programs are a lie in the Western world as most plastics are not recycled and when recycling they emit toxic chemicals.

On an individual level, Americans are estimated to inhale and ingest between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles each year. These particles have been found in human blood, lungs, kidneys, livers, testicles, the brain and even placentas.

Recent research suggests that microplastics can disrupt gut bacteria, cause inflammation, and harm intestinal cells. Even more alarming, a study published last month revealed that the human brain may contain the equivalent of a spoonful of plastic fragments.The researchers behind the latest paper advocate for more in-depth studies on the long-term health effects of microplastic exposure. They also call for clear regulatory limits on microplastic consumption.

While minimizing intake seems like a logical step, the authors caution that it remains uncertain whether these reductions will directly lead to lower plastic accumulation in human tissues. However, given the potential risks, making simple lifestyle changes—like switching to filtered tap water—could be a crucial step toward reducing microplastic exposure and protecting long-term health.

The post A Simple Change Can Reduce Your Microplastic Intake from 90,000 to 4,000 Particles Per Year appeared first on Green Prophet.

he city of Jonesboro, Arkansas is known for many places, including the prominent Arkansas State University (ASU), the Bradbury Art Museum and Craighead Forest Park. It is also known for its incredible healthcare offerings, including St. Bernards Medical Center and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital.  Amidst the many medical practitioners, a few dental professionals stand out, providing expertise in oral surgery and a commitment to dental excellence. If you are looking for a dentist in Jonesboro, AR, here is a guide of the types of five-stars rated practitioners that are dedicated to restoring your oral health with precision and compassion.

General Dentistry

If you’re just looking for a checkup, some x-rays, and a cleaning, you’ll be content with a practitioner who focuses on general dentistry. At a general dentistry practice, dentists are able to diagnose and treat most major dental issues, including yearly cleanings, whitening treatments, crowns, fillings, and more. Some experienced general dentists will also conduct more complex procedures, such as tooth removals, dental implants, or denture fittings. If you’re looking to handle a specific dental problem rather than engaging in preventative care, do a fair amount of research into the specialties of your chosen dentist before booking an appointment to ensure they’re the right technical fit for your needs.

Pediatric Dentist 

If you’re a parent with young ones in need of dental care, make sure you find a skilled pediatric dentist. Pediatric dentists must undergo additional training that allows them to specialize in the unique dental needs of children – primarily, they focus on preventive care, early intervention for orthodontic issues, and creating a positive dental experience for young patients. Often, techniques like behavior management and sedation dentistry are used by pediatric dentists, and even the offices are designed to be more child-friendly.

Orthodontist

For those who’d like to fix the alignment of their smiles or who suffer from jaw problems, orthodontists specialize in diagnosing and correcting misaligned teeth and jaws. These misalignments are known as malocclusions and affect many dental patients. Orthodontists use various tools such as braces, clear aligners, and retainers to straighten their patients’ teeth, improve bite alignment, and enhance overall dental health and aesthetics.

Endodontist

Endodontists focus more on the inside of the tooth than the outside. They’re trained to examine and improve issues related to one’s tooth’s inner structure, including their root canal system. These skilled practitioners perform root canal therapy to save damaged or infected teeth, as well as procedures like apicoectomy (root-end surgery). They also retreat any previously treated root canals, ensuring that your oral health is sustained over time.

Aspen Dental

For families seeking comprehensive dental care under one roof, Aspen Dental offers a holistic approach to oral health and wellness. A respected practice with locations all over the country, Aspen Dental is an award-winning company with a focus on dental implants. Their offerings, including preventive care, patient education, and advanced treatments such as oral surgery, make Aspen Dental the place to go for a positive, safe dental experience.

Finding Your Jonesboro Dentist 

The journey to optimal oral health begins with choosing the right dentist who possesses the skills, expertise, and dedication to transform smiles and enhance lives. In Jonesboro, Arkansas, these top dentists exemplify the pinnacle of dental excellence, offering a comprehensive range of services, including oral surgery, with a commitment to patient-centered care. Whether you’re in need of routine preventive care or complex surgical intervention, rest assured that these trusted professionals will guide you every step of the way on your path to a healthier, happier smile.

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Removing an underground storage tank (UST) is challenging and intimidating; it requires specialized skills and knowledge, not to mention specific safety protocols that you must follow. If you’re contemplating taking this on yourself, here are some tips to make the process easier.

1. Check the Local Regulations

The local government regulates underground storage tanks. Before you get started, research your area’s regulations to ensure that you’re following all the required steps and staying compliant with the law. It is also essential to research any permit requirements necessary for the removal job. The paperwork can be extensive and time-consuming, so give yourself enough time to get through it. If there are any special requirements or regulations you need to be aware of, consider them as you plan your UST removal job.

2. Survey the Site

Before removing a UST, surveying the site and performing a few safety checks is important. Make sure there are no utilities running through the area, such as gas lines, electrical wires, and water mains. It is also important to note any other environmental hazards that may be present on the site, such as nearby bodies of water or underground septic tanks.

3. Hire Experts

Removing an underground storage tank is a complex task that requires specialized skills and knowledge. Before attempting to do it yourself, consider hiring an underground storage tank removal service to handle the job. Not only will they have the experience necessary to do the job safely and efficiently, but they can also help ensure that all regulations are followed. With the help of experienced professional service, you can rest assured that your UST will be removed with minimal disruption to your property and the environment.

4. Have a Plan for Leaks

If you are removing an old or damaged UST, it is crucial to have a plan to deal with potential leaks. Have the necessary safety equipment and absorbent materials to address any spills quickly. It is also vital to ensure that the area surrounding the UST is appropriately sealed off before beginning work. This will help reduce the risk of hazardous materials leaching into the ground and contaminating the surrounding soil or groundwater.

5. Take Care of Contaminated Soil

If the UST has been leaking, some contaminated soil will likely be around it. Make sure to dispose of this material per local regulations properly. Sometimes, you may need to hire a remediation company to help assess and clean up contamination before the removal job begins. This can be especially important if the contamination poses a risk to the health and safety of nearby residents. You may also need to hire a professional to test the soil before and after removing the UST. This can help ensure that all contamination has been adequately addressed and that the area is safe for future use.

Following these five tips can help you safely and efficiently remove your UST. Remember to do your research, plan, hire experts when necessary, and take care of any contaminated soil. Doing so can help ensure that the job is done quickly and properly, with minimal disruption to you or the environment.

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We’ve read reports that sunscreen can cause cancer (and that sunscreen doesn’t really work to prevent skin cancer), but yet –  doctors say you need sunscreen in the sun.

While the daily use of sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher is widely acknowledged as essential to skin cancer prevention, it is hurting the sea. The clincher is that you don’t need to swim for it to be damaging because it’s damaging the reefs through coastal sewage systems and runoff.

New research published in Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology finds that a common chemical in sunscreen lotions and other cosmetic products poses an existential threat — even in miniscule concentrations — to the planet’s corals and coral reefs.

“The chemical, oxybenzone (benzophenone-3), is found in more than 3,500 sunscreen products worldwide. It pollutes coral reefs via swimmers who wear sunscreen or wastewater discharges from municipal sewage outfalls and coastal septic systems,” said Omri Bronstein from Tel Aviv University, one of the principal researchers.

The study was conducted by a team of marine scientists from Tel Aviv including the eminent Prof. Yossi Loya, from the Department of Zoology and the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

Gets deadlier at the beach

A person spending the day at the beach might use between two to four ounces of sunblock if reapplied every two hours after swimming, towelling off, or sweating a significant amount. Multiply this by the number of swimmers in the water, and a serious risk to the environment emerges, the study authors report.

“Oxybenzone pollution predominantly occurs in swimming areas, but it also occurs on reefs 5 to 20 miles from the coastline as a result of submarine freshwater seeps that can be contaminated with sewage,” said Dr. Bronstein, who conducted exposure experiments on coral embryos at the Inter University Institute in Eilat together with Dr. Craig Downs of the Heretics Environmental Laboratories.

“The chemical is highly toxic to juvenile corals. We found four major forms of toxicity associated with exposure of baby corals to this chemical.”

Forms of toxicity include coral bleaching, a phenomenon associated with high sea-surface temperature events like El Niño — and with global mass mortalities of coral reefs. The researchers found oxybenzone made the corals more susceptible to this bleaching at lower temperatures, rendering them less resilient to climate change.

They also found that oxybenzone damaged the DNA of the corals, neutering their ability to reproduce and setting off a widespread decline in coral populations.

The study also pointed to oxybenzone as an “endocrine disruptor,” causing young coral to encase itself in its own skeleton, causing death. Lastly, the researchers saw evidence of gross deformities caused by oxybenzone — such as coral mouths that expand to five times their healthy, normal size.

It only takes one application

“We found the lowest concentration to see a toxicity effect was 62 parts per trillion — equivalent to a drop of water in six and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools,” said Dr. Bronstein.

The researchers found concentrations of oxybenzone in the US Virgin Islands to be 23 times higher than the minimum considered toxic to corals.

“Current concentrations of oxybenzone in these coral reef areas pose a significant ecological threat,” said Dr. Bronstein. “Although the use of sunscreen is recognized as important for protection from the harmful effects of sunlight, there are alternatives — including other chemical sunscreens, as well as wearing sun clothing on the beach and in the water.”

Here – we show you how to make your own non-toxic sunscreen from tea

Natural tea and beeswax sunscreen recipe

The researchers hope their study will draw awareness of the dangers posed by sunscreen to the marine environment and promote the alternative: use of sun-protective swimwear.

The post Your sunscreen is killing baby coral reefs appeared first on Green Prophet.

Rachel Carson would be shocked: A recent study has found that the concentrations of banned chemicals like PCBs, DDT and organochlorines found in human breast milk of women sampled throughout Tunisia  indicate widespread and elevated contamination particularly in older members of rural populations with high dairy and meat intake.

Although these concentration levels are relatively low for developing countries, Tunisia’s population is highly exposed since more than 1,200 tons of obsolete pesticide stocks still remain uncontained and continue to pollute surrounding areas and waterways.

The threat persistent organic pollutants (POP), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organochlorine (OC) and dichlorodiphenytrichloroethane (DDT) pose to the environment and human health is well documented.

These compounds found in pesticides, industrial chemicals or unwanted industrial byproducts are characterized with a high resistance to degradation, long half-lives in humans, and have been confirmed to bioaccumulate in fatty tissues such as blood, breast milk, and adipose tissues through dietary intake.

POPs have been found to compromise the endocrine system, hormone production, metabolic processes, the reproductive system, causing genetic damage and cancer.

Organochlorines widely used as insecticides in Tunisia

In Tunisia OC chemicals were widely used from the end of 1940s to 1980s for insect control and agricultural pest control. Despite the use of these compounds has been prohibited in the late 1980s, OCs are still ubiquitous in Tunisia’s environment and biota.

Related: See how our phosphorus addiction is killing this mining town

In 2004, Tunisia ratified the Stockholm Convention on POP, which postulates the elimination of these pollutants by limiting its production, use and commercialization and the application of a national plan that identifies and manages obsolete stocks (primarily PCB). Today, Tunisia benefits from a 16,7 million USD donation from the Global Environment Facility with the intent of eliminating these stocks by 2017.

Although this is an essential project, Tunisia has important steps to make in the strict application of existing laws, resorting to independent environmental judicial systems that penalize polluters.

Today Tunisia, is dotted with unregulated industrial polluters that contaminate waterways (see how locals jump into this magical lake despite warnings!), and continue to pump POPs in the domestic food chains and the biota.

Before Tunisia can start talking about bio, it needs to talk about POP. And if you are breastfeeding or know someone pregnant, send them this article about stuff they don’t need:

10 breastfeeding products you do not need to buy

The post Breast milk reveals how many banned pesticides plague Tunisians appeared first on Green Prophet.

Pollution is many-pronged problem

Untreated wastewater from factories in the town of Bafa, which lies east of the lake, is being dumped in the lake, according to Turkish paper Hürriyet Daily News.

At the lake’s western end, a fish farm is also releasing waste into the water. Plans for a second farm are reportedly underway, according to Professor Erol Kesici, a professor of aquaculture and a spokesman for Turkey’s Ecosystem Protection and Nature-Lovers’ Association (EKODOSD).

Perhaps most destructive, Lake Bafa’s main water source, the Büyük Menderes River, has become increasingly salty ever since it was diverted for irrigation use in 1985. The salinization of the river and the Büyük Menderes Lake have lowered the fertility of nearby fields, and have added an unpleasant odor to the lake, making it a less attractive destination for tourists.

Pollution solution?

Kesici recommends that Turkey’s state water works (DSİ) treat Bafa Lake with biological cleaning systems to eradicate the pollution. Otherwise, he warns, it could turn into another Büyük Menderes Lake, with the damage from the pollution spreading far and wide around the region.

“Bafa Lake’s water ecosystem environs, river basin and soil structure is the best and cheapest purifier for the environment,” he told the Hürriyet. 

A team from the DSİ has taken samples from Bafa Lake and will test them to determine the exact causes of the pollution. Kesici hopes the team works quickly. By the summer, when Bafa Lake isn’t receiving much fresh water in the form of rain, he points out, the problem could get much worse.

Follow İzmir’s model?

In tackling the pollution at Bafa Lake, local authorities would do well to follow the model of another region on Turkey’s Aegean coast: İzmir.

The Gulf of İzmir was used as an open sewer system beginning in the 1960s. But in 2000, İzmir’s municipal government initiated the Big Gulf Project to clean it up. Those efforts are just now paying off, as recent underwater photos showed remarkable marine life returning to the area.

The İzmir clean-up effort did require major investments by its municipal government — investments that not every city in Turkey is rich enough to make. But if  the historical value and tourism potential of Bafa Lake and its surrounding nature reserve were quantified, Muğla’s local authorities would find it an investment worth making as well.

:: Hürriyet Daily News

Read more about nature conservation in Turkey:
Life Returns To Gulf — Once A Sewer On Turkey’s Aegean Coast
Istanbul’s Natural Oases: The Atatürk Arboretum and Belgrade Forest
Hydroelectric Dam Threatens “Ecological Massacre” in Turkey
Polluting Paradise Documentary Follows Turkish Village’s Battle Against Invading Garbage

Image via smayda

The post Chemical Waste Destroying Turkey’s Historical Bafa Lake Reserve appeared first on Green Prophet.

With just one test, Lab Path can detect hundreds of chemicals in peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and other crops.

Daniel Lev, who is the CEO of Yofi Shel Yerakot – a farming co-op in Israel that pays Lab Path to conduct periodic tests on all of their produce, says that these tests can “pinpoint tiny dangerous particles hidden within thousands of billions of other particles,” the Jerusalem Post reports.

The equipment has a repertoire of 300 different pesticides it can find in a variety of mixtures, and it can also monitor the air and water used in the cultivation process, according to the paper.

But it’s not cheap to employ Lab Path. Each test costs approximately $27 and hundreds of them are required each year to ensure that crops are evaluated before they are marketed to both private and industrial consumers.

Rami Sade, an agronomist for Yofi Shel Yerakot said that the investment assures consumers that the food they are eating is verifiably free of chemicals that may be harmful to their health.

This co-op, which means Beauty of Vegetables, produces about 34,000 tons of crops each year, half of which is distributed in Israel. The other half is sold throughout Europe and the United States.

While this is clever, and we are grateful to know that there are methods to verify the safety of our food, we also think that it’s a sad state of affairs when intelligence equipment has to be used to monitor our food.

As corporate conglomerates strive to dominate the food industry, growers are fighting back – in Egypt, in Israel, and in the United States, where a small-scale farmer has taken agro-giant Monsanto to the Supreme Court in order to dispute the company’s heavy-handed seed patenting process.

The war on chemicals rages on.

Image of tomato and looking glass, Shutterstock

The post Israel Uses CIA and FBI Technologies to Find Pesticides appeared first on Green Prophet.

The UN is calling for urgent action to reduce human exposure to chemicals and save the lives of millions of people

A couple of months ago, as part of my research for an article, I spoke to a young woman affected by a rather unique and misunderstand condition called ‘Multiple Chemical Sensitivity’. Also known as environmental illness or chemical injury or chemical sensitivity, MCS is defined as a condition where individuals have become neurologically sensitized to chemicals in the environment, including fragrances, car exhaust, pesticides, cleaning products, and building materials. Although there is debate in the medical community about its existence, the notion that the toxic chemical soup mixture that we expose ourselves to on a daily basis doesn’t have any impact seems outright illogical. Indeed, a recent study by the UN states that we are living in a world overwhelmed with chemicals and that better management of chemicals could save millions of lives.

The study released in early September by the U.N Environment Program states that urgent action is needed to reduce the growing health and environmental hazards we face due to exposure to chemical substances. There is an estimated 143,000 chemicals being produced that we know very little about and the UN states that only a fraction of these chemicals are evaluated to determine their effects on human health and the environment.

Unsurprisingly, the rate of death and disability due to the use of unsafe chemicals is high. The report reveals that poisoning from industrial and agricultural chemicals are among the top five leading causes of death worldwide, killing over 1 million people annually. The director of WHO’s Department of Public Health and the Environment, Maria Neira, argued that the figure was closer to 4.9 million deaths.

“I think that is an enormous figure: 4.9 million deaths that could be avoided if we have better management in reducing exposure to those chemicals,” Neira told VOA news. “Obviously, this figure is an underestimation. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We know that data is only available on a very small number of chemicals. If we go for more that would probably give us a more dramatic figure.”

Global chemical sales are also set to increase by around 3 percent a year until 2050 and the UN says production is quickly shifting from developed to developing countries. This is not good news. The report says chemical production is set to increase by 40 percent in Africa and the Middle East between 2012 and 2020. I guess this is an issue (or should I say problem) we’re going to be hearing a lot more about in the near future.

In a bid to encourage countries to take an active role in managing dangerous chemicals, the report argues that it’s cheaper to protect workers than it is to deal with the aftermath of dangerous exposure to chemicals. The UNEP’S director of the Division for Technology, Industry and Economics, Sylvie Lemmet argues in VOA News: “The estimated cost of poisoning from pesticide in sub-Saharan Africa…is estimated to be 6.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2009. This is higher than the total ODA [Overseas Development Aid] that is going to the health sector in that same area…preventing these costs makes an economic benefit.”

For more on chemical exposure in the Middle East see:
Pesticides Causing Brain Damages to be Banned in Israel
How Medicines Are Contaminating The Earth
BPA is One of Hundreds of Endocrine Disrupters
Chemical Colouring Our Food – A Rainbow to Avoid

Image of worker extracting sulphur in Indonesia via Shutterstock.com

The post UN: Control Dangerous Chemicals & Save The Lives of Millions appeared first on Green Prophet.

The home carbonating company Sodastream has entered into a deal with Kool-Aid to provide Kool-Aid flavors to Sodastream’s carbonated water. Sodastream from Israel  is currently in a small war with Coke, and this latest move with Kool-Aid will up the DIY drink possibilities at home, and maybe even take more of a market share from Coke and other soft drink manufacturers.

Sodastream bottles are BPA free, according to the company, and offers a new way to drink carbonated beverages without stacking up thousands of unwanted plastic bottles each year. Sodastream provides gas cannisters and a recharging mechanism that allows people to make their own fizzy drinks at home. Among the flavors that Sodastream sells are cola and orange; the new Kool-Aid deal will make the Sodastream solution more palatable to the masses.

But the business move is certainly not in-line with Sodastream’s environmental agenda. Kool-Aid colorings and sugar is not something that health-conscious parents want to feed to their kids.

I used to own a Sodastream and bought it on a whim, hoping to be able to make soda water every day, while reducing my trash footprint. After the first canister was used up, I found it hard to find replacements even from the store I bought it at. I quickly gave it away to a friend who wanted it. I know many people in Israel who got one as a gift at a wedding and after the first euphoria of using it, the machine sat under the counter collecting dust.

Sodastream is an old company that has revived its business to an international scale using the environmental message as a sales tool. I have to say something about this:

Many people in America are lauding the Sodastream as a way to revolutionize the drinking industry. I say it’s much like a popcorn popper from the past. We all used them in the 80s, but eventually grew tired of the fad when microwave popcorn came along. Then they too went into the trash. Solving the problem of trash and soda consumption? How about refillable glass bottles like in days past? I used to love it when we’d get a delivery from the Pop Shop, with all flavors under the rainbow. It was a real treat that I would look forward to on weekends, making soda consumption something special, not an every day “treat”.

Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

The post Sodastream Adds Kool-Aid to Its Mixed Message Menu 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

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