Bisphenol A - New Media and Politics

A rather alarming statistic comes from Statistics Canada today : more than nine out of 10 Canadians have detectable levels of bisphenol A in their urine.

From the Globe and Mail: Bisphenol A is a man-made chemical that is used in such everyday products as polycarbonate plastic water jugs, the epoxy resins lining the insides of tin cans and some types of carbonless cash-register receipts.

Elevated exposure to bisphenol A, which is also known as BPA, has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and adult-onset diabetes in humans.

Research in laboratory animals has associated BPA with such conditions as breast cancer, earlier sexual maturity in females and altered brain development, especially for exposures that occur during fetal or early neonatal life. 

 

    

Exposure to high levels of the plastic-making compound are linked to sexual-performance difficulties in men. A Health Canada study also finds that elevated amounts of BPA can increase cardiac risk by 45%.

Go here for an updated primer on BPA from the CBC.