Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Recipe for high BPA exposure: Canned vegetables, cigarettes and a cashier job

Recipe for high BPA exposure: Canned vegetables, cigarettes and a cashier job

Pregnant women who eat canned vegetables daily have elevated levels of bisphenol A, an estrogenic chemical found in food containers and other consumer products, according to new research published today. More than 90 percent of pregnant women had detectable levels of BPA, and a variety of sources of the chemical were identified in the study. Pregnant women who were exposed to tobacco smoke or worked as cashiers also had above-average concentrations.
2010-1008register
srs001/flickr
Women in the study who were cashiers had the highest concentrations of BPA in their urine.

Pregnant women who eat canned vegetables daily have elevated levels of bisphenol A, an estrogenic chemical found in food containers and other consumer products, according to new research published today.

More than 90 percent of pregnant women had detectable levels of bisphenol A, and a variety of sources of the chemical were identified in the study. Pregnant women who were exposed to tobacco smoke or worked as cashiers also had above-average concentrations in their bodies.
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is an estrogen-mimicking chemical used in food and beverage can linings, polycarbonate plastic and cash register receipts. Lab animals exposed in the womb to low amounts of BPA develop prostate and mammary gland cancers, obesity and reproductive problems. In humans, BPA has been linked to heart disease and diabetes.
A few years ago, many mothers reacted strongly to protect their infants from BPA by pressuring retailers and manufacturers to offer BPA-free baby bottles. But the new study shows that pregnant women are still unwittingly exposing their infants during fetal development, which is an even more vulnerable time.

Read the full article at the Environmental Health News website

Have a happy green day
best wishes
Victoria Crombie
www.downtoearthbaby.com

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