Will Your Plastic Water Bottle Give You Breast Cancer?

A large review that demonstrated the lack of consensus on BPA was released earlier this spring by the U.S. National Toxicology Program.  This draft report on the safety of BPA stated that the chemical has been found in the urine of 93% of people aged six and older.  The report did not identify any studies of health effects in humans, but it did express concern that BPA could "possibly" affect human development or reproduction.  

In addition, this report presented some laboratory data from rodents showing reproductive effects and precancerous breast lesions as a result of exposure to BPA, at low levels of the chemical similar to what humans are exposed to.   Another review, from 2005, analyzed many other studies in laboratory animals, wildlife, and cells and concluded that BPA is associated with a variety of hormone-like behaviors and health outcomes in animals, possibly at very low levels of exposure.  We really do not know what this means for people at this point. 

The National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences are funding a multi-center study to measure BPA and other known and suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals in 1200 nine-year-old girls.  The studies will be following them for several years, to determine whether exposure to the chemicals is associated with changes in pubertal development, particularly aspects of development that are relevant to breast cancer.

I realize it can sometimes be hard to be a well-informed consumer.  There is so much information, and not all of it is coming from sources you can trust. There is even more that we do not know.  I can assure you that NBCC is following these issues carefully and will share with you new information as it comes to light.