Just recently, in the Wall Street Journal, there was a report on BPA and the use of BPA in various bottles. You can read my quick summary of it here: FDA Concerns About BPA
In light of that, here is some more information about BPA. The short of it – Why Risk It?
BPA (Bisphenol A) is something that is very popular in plastic bottles and is also something that can be quite harmful to people, animals and the environment in general. This is nothing new as it was in the 1930’s that this compound was first discovered to be hazardous. However, it continues to be used in some plastic containers today.
The safety concerns about BPA started to catch momentum at the turn of the century and came to an all out head in 2008. There were several publicized stories from major news agencies that absolutely blew the lid off of how harmful this plastics component truly is. It is likely because of that very reason why we are seeing more and more companies tout their BPA free bottles.
How To Tell If Your Bottle Has BPA In It
If you are trying to figure out whether or not your bottle uses BPA, you need only look at the identifier on the side or bottom of the bottle. This should be in the form of a triangle of arrows (the recycling symbol) that features a number inside of it. The numbers 3 and 7 present a risk of BPA and numbers 1,2,4, 5 and 6 are all BPA free.
While there is a health risk for anyone drinking out of bottles that are made with BPA, the most significant danger comes to infants. Because they are in the early stages of development, they are much more likely to experience the detrimental effects that BPA presents. This is why it is imperative that parents use BPA free bottles for their children.
Effects of BPA
One side effect of note that continues to be linked to BPA is obesity. Is it a coincidence that child obesity has never been worse that it has been over the last two decades and that this compound has never been used more? While there are obviously many other factors that are contributing to this, it is surely something to think about.
