What is a BPA?

The formal name for BPA is Bisphenol A. It is an organic chemical compound that is, and has been used in plastics, resins, epoxies, etc, since 1957. BPAs appear in everything from dvds and the linings of canned foods and water pipes, to medical and dental devices. BPAs are all around us.

Buying Plastic Assessment
BPAs are used in plastics because they produce a strong, clear plastic, that is virtually shatter proof. This has created a large variety of uses in the past 50 years of use. In recent years, the safety of BPAs has been highly disputed. The chemical compound mirrors that of hormones, which causes concern for the use of BPAs in items that contain consumables. The biggest concern and action with BPAs has been in regard to baby bottles and infant formula containers, as fetuses, infants and children are more susceptible to encountering issues with products that have BPA in them. The FDA no longer authorizes the use of BPAs in these items, as the majority of the market has stopped using these products; The EU and Canada have officially banned the use of BPAs in these items.

BPAs have been investigated for the past several years with somewhat mixed findings. Up to now, the levels of BPA we are currently consuming have been deemed safe, however, the FDA and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) are continuing their investigation of this compound.

Other BPA Exposure
Recently, there have been further studies focusing on the absorption of BPAs through our skin. Studies have shown that a large amount of BPAs are absorbed or ingested via thermal paper. Thermal paper is a very common item that we encounter multiple times daily. Thermal paper is used most commonly in receipts, but is also used for airline tickets, atm receipts, etc.

Furthermore, the absorption of BPAs has been found to be increased in situations where people have recently used hand sanitizer or lotion as this seems to create a conduit for the BPAs to be absorbed into the skin. Additionally, BPAs ingestion is also occurring when individuals eat after handling receipts. Current research shows that BPAs potentially cause cancer, metabolic and immune problems in rodents in addition to reproductive defects in humans. Thankfully, Appvion, a Wisconsin company, has developed an alternative that uses Vitamin C, in lieu of the potentially harmful BPAs.
The study of BPAs continues in an attempt to establish the potential harm to people. In the meantime, some recommendations to reduce your consumption of BPAs are to make an effort to choose BPA free plastics and products free from BPA linings, reduce the foods you eat from cans as they are typically lined with BPA resins, avoid heating plastics in the microwave and dishwasher as this is thought to break down the plastics and increase the potential of BPAs getting into your food.