New Fears Surround Alleged Health Effects of Bisphenol A
A French study on bisphenol A (BPA) has suggested a link between exposure to the chemical used in plastic containers and drink cans to reduced intestinal functioning. Viorica Braniste, et al., “Impact of oral bisphenol A at reference doses on intestinal barrier function and sex differences after perinatal exposure in rats,” Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences (December 2009). Researchers at the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) in Toulouse apparently found that the digestive tract of rats reacted negatively to low doses of BPA and that rats exposed to the chemical in utero and during breastfeeding had an increased risk of developing severe intestinal inflammation in adulthood. Additional research on human intestine cells evidently revealed that BPA lowered the permeability of the intestines and the immune system’s response to digestive inflammation.
“The findings illustrate the intestine’s great sensitivity to bisphenol A and open new research paths for characterizing and evaluating the effects on endocrine disruptors from food,” according to a December 15, 2009, INRA press release. “They may also contribute to risk assessment and the determination of new acceptable exposure thresholds for these molecules.”
In a related development, Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program, told The (Milwaukee) Journal Sentinel that she had seen enough BPA studies to be concerned about its health effects. According to the December 11, 2009, article, Birnbaum’s recent testimony before a Senate panel compared BPA to lead, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, all of which have been linked to various health effects even at low doses. She was quoted as saying that people should avoid exposure to BPA, especially pregnant women, infants and children. “There are plenty of reasonable alternatives,” she said.
