Bpa and the Plastics Industry

BPA and Polycarbonate Plastic: A Health Risk to American Families

Bisphenol-A, or BPA, is an organic compound used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. This polycarbonate plastic, being clear and nearly shatterproof, is used to make various products such as baby bottles, water bottles, sports equipment, dental fillings, eyeglass lenses, etc. Epoxy resins can be found in the linings of most food and beverage cans. If exposed to heat, the chemical BPA can be released from polycarbonate plastics. In the 1930s, it was discovered that this chemical mimics the hormone estrogen. As a result of such a discovery, BPA has become a widely controversial chemical. The chemical companies that produce BPA obfuscate the facts to mislead consumers into thinking the product is safe. Because the chemical has been banned in most plastic products by both the European Union and Canada, but not the US, American consumers especially need to become better educated on BPA in order to make wiser consumer choices. This report will compare and contrast the different perspectives that different organizations hold about BPA in order to see through the myriad of conflicting claims about the chemical to see it in its true light, a moderately harmful chemical in the plastics industry that everyone should seek to reduce their consumption of.

In the online article “Greenpeace Ignores Their Own Advice to Look at Evidence” (2006), BPA Global Group claims that the majority of scientific evidence favors the conclusion that Bisphenol-A is not a health risk to humans. BPA Global Group adds strength to their claim by first summarizing Greenpeace’s counter argument (that BPA is unhealthy) , and then discrediting it by stating that “Greenpeace completely ignores their own advice by selectively citing only the very limited evidence that supports their opinion that Bisphenol-a causes adverse reproductive effects at low doses.” (BPA Global) It is left to the inference of the reader as to whether...