The National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, announced that a controversial, estrogen-like chemical in plastic could be harming the development of children’s brains and reproductive organs.
An ingredient of polycarbonate plastic, BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry today. It can seep from hard plastic beverage containers such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant formula.
The federal institute is the first government agency in the U.S. to conclude that low levels of BPA could be harming humans. Its findings will be used to help regulators at federal and state environmental agencies to develop policies governing its use.[LA Times]
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