Health effects found in animals exposed to large amounts of BPA include:


Reproductive Effects

Animal research has shown that Bisphenol A is able to bind with estrogen receptors in the body. These estrogen receptors normally interact with the female hormone estrogen, which is involved in the regulation of normal sexual development. 

As a result, Bisphenol A may be able to disrupt normal sexual development in girls and boys. Animal studies have shown that Bisphenol A exposure may lead to advanced onset of puberty and disruption of normal menstrual cycles in girls and decreased sperm production and quality in boys.    

• Although there are limitations that make it difficult to definitively demonstrate that low-dose chronic exposures to Bisphenol A causes adverse health effects in people, there is evidence that exposure causes adverse effects in animals.  Therefore, it is prudent to minimize exposure to Bisphenol A whenever practical.
  
  

• The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Food and Health program has developed a fact sheet entitled “Smart Plastics Guide Healthier Food Uses of Plastics.” The fact sheet provides information on the health and safety of containers and recommendation to minimize exposure to chemicals in plastic. See http://www.agobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=77083

• The fact sheet includes a useful guide on the plastic labels found on some plastic household products.  There are currently 7 labels used on plastic products, which can be used to determine what chemicals are used in plastic products in your home.
  
  
• Plastic containers with #1, #2, #4, or #5 labels are less likely to contain Bisphenol A and similar chemicals of concern, and are generally considered safer containers for storing food and liquids. 
  
  
• Plastic containers with #3, #6, and #7 labels are more likely to contain Bisphenol A and other chemicals that may have similar health effects. 
  
  
• You can reduce your family’s exposure to Bisphenol A by minimizing the use of #3, #6, and #7 plastic containers to store and heat food.  Brands that do not carry these include Born Free (which makes only BPA-free bottles), Gerber, Sassy, and Medela.
  

In addition, some practical tips you can do to reduce your family’s exposure when labeling information is not readily available include:

1. Use non-plastic containers to heat and store food

2. Replace older plastic containers that show sign of wear

3. Avoid the use of harsh detergents, which may increase Bisphenol A leaching, when washing plastic containers.




What should I do if I am concerned my child is being exposed to unsafe levels of Bisphenol A?

• Unfortunately, there are limited tests that your physician can conduct to determine if you have been exposed to unsafe levels of Bisphenol A. 

• The urine tests for phenols are limited because the test is only representative of exposures that occurred during one or two days prior to the test. 
  
  
• These tests are also difficult for physicians to interpret because many substances may be metabolized in the body and converted into phenols, so it not clear the results indicate exposure to Bisphenol A or another substance that shares a common metabolic pathway in the body.