This is not the easiest post, so please bear with me. I'm explaining this as best I can as a non-scientist. I urge you to read on.
Recently, I emailed friends and family members about the dangers of plastics, both to the environment and to physical health (which are ultimately one in the same, though that's another topic). The main message I wanted to share in this recent email is that there is a substance in some plastics of the #7 variety, (i.e. polycarbonate, the "good" hard stuff of which many water bottles are made) called BPA, short for Bisphenol A, that is harmful to the body. (Note: Others to avoid are #'s 3 and 6, but for this post I want to discuss BPA.) What is most alarming is that the majority of baby bottles on the market are made of the BPA-laden polycarbonate plastic. (For safe alternatives, see Born Free.)
I first learned about BPA several years ago following my first miscarriage and a subsequent surgery. This surgery involved removing my right ovary due to a large cyst that had engulfed the ovary. The cyst was actually discovered during the ultrasound that was performed after no heartbeat was detected at my first prenatal appointment. Apparently the two issues were unrelated, but I have always been thankful for having found out about the cyst before it became even larger and more dangerous, even though the way I found out was difficult. Back to the point...I remember visiting my sister for the holidays shortly after my miscarriage, and her randomly remarking that she and her husband had stopped using their Nalgene water bottles and were using stainless steel instead because she had read something about the plastic being unsafe. My wheels started turning immediately, and upon returning home I began looking online for information.
What I discovered was this article. It said nothing about a link between ovarian dysfunction and BPA, but what it did explain was that BPA acts like estrogen, and I was convinced my ovarian cyst was related to BPA exposure, considering I had been using a Nalgene water bottle every day all day for five years. I even emailed the researcher in this article, but he replied that he only had information pertaining to adverse effects of BPA on fetal development. I was still convinced and concerned enough that I emailed friends and family with the link to this article and other websites with info on bad plastics. Even if BPA wasn't harmful to my remaining ovary, it was potentially harmful to unborn babies. I cleaned out my own kitchen cabinets of the bad plastics, at least those I knew were unsafe, bought a stainless steel water bottle and went on about my life.
I had another miscarriage a year later.
Eventually I guess I became desensitized after never hearing anything more about it, and I guess I forgot most of what I had learned - I began using my old Nalgene bottles after I broke the top to my stainless one...that is, until my friend Geody sent an email about baby bottles and BPA. I got curious again, and this time (a mere 2 1/2 years later) found a lot more data. The following is from an article put out by the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, entitled "Smart Plastics Guide":
"Bisphenol A has been found to stimulate prostate cancer cells and causes breast tissue changes in mice that resemble early stages of breast cancer in both mice and humans. One study found an association between ovarian dysfunction and higher levels of BPA in urine."
AND
"One study found that women with a history of recurrent miscarriages had over threefold higher levels of BPA in their blood compared to women without a miscarriage history."
Then I found out about The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, and I sent the following email from their contact page:
-------------------------------------------
Hi. My name is Kathryn *****, and I just wanted to share my story.
In 2004, I experienced my first pregnancy and miscarriage at 10 weeks -- in the process it was determined that I had a large ovarian cyst that had to be surgically removed. I was told it was unrelated to the miscarriage, though I wasn't given any reasons for the miscarriage. I had surgery to remove the cyst (a dermoid cyst) in January 2005, and it was so large (it had actually engulfed my ovary) that I had to have my ovary removed. There was no explanation for the cyst either. In October 2005 I got pregnant again and thought all was well until I miscarried at 13 weeks. With both miscarriages, I went in for the first ultrasound and there was no heartbeat - the ultrasound showed an empty gestational sac. I did not miscarry on my own either time and had to have medical intervention.
....I know there could be any number of reasons [for the miscarriages], but I keep going back to BPA. I began using a Nalgene-brand water bottle many years ago in an effort to be more health-conscious and drink more water - I had no idea the bottle was unsafe until I began doing research in 2005 after my ovary was removed. (I had been using the bottle daily for at least five years by that point.) At the time I found no information about a correlation between BPA and female reproductive issues, but I did find an article about the research of Fred vom Saal at the University of Missouri (http://atmizzou.missouri.edu/jun03/plastics.htm) on BPA exposure during development.
Just today I discovered your website after getting an Al Gore email for Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie. I am so grateful for the work that you are doing. The charts on BPA and the female reproductive system are very eye-opening. I assume your research is also based in fetal development, but I would like to know if you are aware of any research done on the effects of BPA in adults. I'm also wondering if there is a test that can measure BPA in my system and if there's any way to remove this chemical from my body -- I know this is a long shot, but I figure it's worth asking.
I continue to spread the word about "bad plastics" to friends and family, particularly pregnant women and mothers. I just hope this chemical is banned before it's too late.
Thank you for your time and for reading my story.
-------------------------------------------
Tonight I received an email reply from the President of TEDX, Theo Colborn, which I've posted below:
_________________________________________________
Dear Kathryn,
Thank you for sharing your story with me. It reminds me of how much more work there still is to be done to broadcast the message about endocrine disruption. My heart aches as more and more people like you are contacting my office. If it will comfort you at all, you can be assured that we will continue to do everything we can to enlighten those decision makers who can make change.
If you go to the summary on BPA and then look at the paragraph on adult exposure, you will find some information there. Also, in the case of diabetes, you will see that there is a study showing postnatal exposure to BPA can lead to insulin related problems.
About getting your tissues tested for BPA, this would be of no value. Everyone tested thus far around the world is carrying about 1 to 2 ppb. Since BPA does not accumulate in the body, it is assumed that constant BPA exposure is the source. We are excreting it as fast as we take it in. As you know, it is in almost everything we use or look at. It is in the glass in car and home windows, in computers, phones. compact disks, food can linings, dental sealants, high impact sporting goods. It is used as a fire retardant in almost everything, from paper, to clothing, to home construction material. The frames for autos, airplanes, and ships are made from BPA resins. If decisionmakers continue to depend upon risk assessment and toxicology to address the problem, there is no hope for humankind.
A change is needed. It is going to take people like you to spread the word, and most important, to talk with your legislators. As far as I am concerned, every politician needs to pass the endocrine disruption test before he or she is allowed to run for office. The banning can only come from the top down and that is going to take a lot of courage on the part of many.
Keep up the good work,
Theo
Theo Colborn, PhD
Professor, University of Florida, Gainesville
PO Box 1253
Paonia, CO 81428
970-527-6548
--------------------------
President
The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX).
PO Box 1407
Paonia, CO 81428
970-527-4082
www.endocrinedisruption.org
_____________________________
Wow. I don't really know what to say now other than that I guess it's good to have some answers even if they can't necessarily be proven in my particular situation. I am also humbled to actually "be heard" by a person of Dr. Colburn's stature. We need people like her in public office.
Interestingly, I saw "The 11th Hour" tonight (this is the movie referenced in my email to Dr. Colburn - and how I found out about TEDX). One of the major points of the film is that we must spread information to create awareness and spark change. Whether we like it or not, we have to be political. I'll admit that other than send a few emails about issues I care about from time to time and vote regularly, I'm not very politically active. I've never wanted to be. But it's my duty as a human being to try to make the world better - and particularly in the case of our environment, to help preserve life (another point of the movie is that the earth will go on; we may not. It sounds grim, but we can save ourselves by educating ourselves and others and making different choices...see the movie!!).
Back to BPA and what we can do: It's overwhelming to hear about BPA being all around us, but I do think that not eating and drinking or cooking with #7 plastics is a start. (Note: There are some new bio-based plastics that are biodegradable and believed to be safe, which may be labeled #7 - you'll likely know if you're buying this kind of plastic as opposed to polycarbonate.) The other thing we have to do is spread the word to everyone we know and also to our elected officials. If you're not convinced, please read some of the information about the studies done on BPA at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange.
I have opened my blog up to the "blogger public" in an effort to share my story and get the word out about BPA. I really hope this will reach a lot of people.
Thanks for reading. Please pass it on.
Recently, I emailed friends and family members about the dangers of plastics, both to the environment and to physical health (which are ultimately one in the same, though that's another topic). The main message I wanted to share in this recent email is that there is a substance in some plastics of the #7 variety, (i.e. polycarbonate, the "good" hard stuff of which many water bottles are made) called BPA, short for Bisphenol A, that is harmful to the body. (Note: Others to avoid are #'s 3 and 6, but for this post I want to discuss BPA.) What is most alarming is that the majority of baby bottles on the market are made of the BPA-laden polycarbonate plastic. (For safe alternatives, see Born Free.)
I first learned about BPA several years ago following my first miscarriage and a subsequent surgery. This surgery involved removing my right ovary due to a large cyst that had engulfed the ovary. The cyst was actually discovered during the ultrasound that was performed after no heartbeat was detected at my first prenatal appointment. Apparently the two issues were unrelated, but I have always been thankful for having found out about the cyst before it became even larger and more dangerous, even though the way I found out was difficult. Back to the point...I remember visiting my sister for the holidays shortly after my miscarriage, and her randomly remarking that she and her husband had stopped using their Nalgene water bottles and were using stainless steel instead because she had read something about the plastic being unsafe. My wheels started turning immediately, and upon returning home I began looking online for information.
What I discovered was this article. It said nothing about a link between ovarian dysfunction and BPA, but what it did explain was that BPA acts like estrogen, and I was convinced my ovarian cyst was related to BPA exposure, considering I had been using a Nalgene water bottle every day all day for five years. I even emailed the researcher in this article, but he replied that he only had information pertaining to adverse effects of BPA on fetal development. I was still convinced and concerned enough that I emailed friends and family with the link to this article and other websites with info on bad plastics. Even if BPA wasn't harmful to my remaining ovary, it was potentially harmful to unborn babies. I cleaned out my own kitchen cabinets of the bad plastics, at least those I knew were unsafe, bought a stainless steel water bottle and went on about my life.
I had another miscarriage a year later.
Eventually I guess I became desensitized after never hearing anything more about it, and I guess I forgot most of what I had learned - I began using my old Nalgene bottles after I broke the top to my stainless one...that is, until my friend Geody sent an email about baby bottles and BPA. I got curious again, and this time (a mere 2 1/2 years later) found a lot more data. The following is from an article put out by the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, entitled "Smart Plastics Guide":
"Bisphenol A has been found to stimulate prostate cancer cells and causes breast tissue changes in mice that resemble early stages of breast cancer in both mice and humans. One study found an association between ovarian dysfunction and higher levels of BPA in urine."
AND
"One study found that women with a history of recurrent miscarriages had over threefold higher levels of BPA in their blood compared to women without a miscarriage history."
Then I found out about The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, and I sent the following email from their contact page:
-------------------------------------------
Hi. My name is Kathryn *****, and I just wanted to share my story.
In 2004, I experienced my first pregnancy and miscarriage at 10 weeks -- in the process it was determined that I had a large ovarian cyst that had to be surgically removed. I was told it was unrelated to the miscarriage, though I wasn't given any reasons for the miscarriage. I had surgery to remove the cyst (a dermoid cyst) in January 2005, and it was so large (it had actually engulfed my ovary) that I had to have my ovary removed. There was no explanation for the cyst either. In October 2005 I got pregnant again and thought all was well until I miscarried at 13 weeks. With both miscarriages, I went in for the first ultrasound and there was no heartbeat - the ultrasound showed an empty gestational sac. I did not miscarry on my own either time and had to have medical intervention.
....I know there could be any number of reasons [for the miscarriages], but I keep going back to BPA. I began using a Nalgene-brand water bottle many years ago in an effort to be more health-conscious and drink more water - I had no idea the bottle was unsafe until I began doing research in 2005 after my ovary was removed. (I had been using the bottle daily for at least five years by that point.) At the time I found no information about a correlation between BPA and female reproductive issues, but I did find an article about the research of Fred vom Saal at the University of Missouri (http://atmizzou.missouri.edu/jun03/plastics.htm) on BPA exposure during development.
Just today I discovered your website after getting an Al Gore email for Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie. I am so grateful for the work that you are doing. The charts on BPA and the female reproductive system are very eye-opening. I assume your research is also based in fetal development, but I would like to know if you are aware of any research done on the effects of BPA in adults. I'm also wondering if there is a test that can measure BPA in my system and if there's any way to remove this chemical from my body -- I know this is a long shot, but I figure it's worth asking.
I continue to spread the word about "bad plastics" to friends and family, particularly pregnant women and mothers. I just hope this chemical is banned before it's too late.
Thank you for your time and for reading my story.
-------------------------------------------
Tonight I received an email reply from the President of TEDX, Theo Colborn, which I've posted below:
_________________________________________________
Dear Kathryn,
Thank you for sharing your story with me. It reminds me of how much more work there still is to be done to broadcast the message about endocrine disruption. My heart aches as more and more people like you are contacting my office. If it will comfort you at all, you can be assured that we will continue to do everything we can to enlighten those decision makers who can make change.
If you go to the summary on BPA and then look at the paragraph on adult exposure, you will find some information there. Also, in the case of diabetes, you will see that there is a study showing postnatal exposure to BPA can lead to insulin related problems.
About getting your tissues tested for BPA, this would be of no value. Everyone tested thus far around the world is carrying about 1 to 2 ppb. Since BPA does not accumulate in the body, it is assumed that constant BPA exposure is the source. We are excreting it as fast as we take it in. As you know, it is in almost everything we use or look at. It is in the glass in car and home windows, in computers, phones. compact disks, food can linings, dental sealants, high impact sporting goods. It is used as a fire retardant in almost everything, from paper, to clothing, to home construction material. The frames for autos, airplanes, and ships are made from BPA resins. If decisionmakers continue to depend upon risk assessment and toxicology to address the problem, there is no hope for humankind.
A change is needed. It is going to take people like you to spread the word, and most important, to talk with your legislators. As far as I am concerned, every politician needs to pass the endocrine disruption test before he or she is allowed to run for office. The banning can only come from the top down and that is going to take a lot of courage on the part of many.
Keep up the good work,
Theo
Theo Colborn, PhD
Professor, University of Florida, Gainesville
PO Box 1253
Paonia, CO 81428
970-527-6548
--------------------------
President
The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX).
PO Box 1407
Paonia, CO 81428
970-527-4082
www.endocrinedisruption.org
_____________________________
Wow. I don't really know what to say now other than that I guess it's good to have some answers even if they can't necessarily be proven in my particular situation. I am also humbled to actually "be heard" by a person of Dr. Colburn's stature. We need people like her in public office.
Interestingly, I saw "The 11th Hour" tonight (this is the movie referenced in my email to Dr. Colburn - and how I found out about TEDX). One of the major points of the film is that we must spread information to create awareness and spark change. Whether we like it or not, we have to be political. I'll admit that other than send a few emails about issues I care about from time to time and vote regularly, I'm not very politically active. I've never wanted to be. But it's my duty as a human being to try to make the world better - and particularly in the case of our environment, to help preserve life (another point of the movie is that the earth will go on; we may not. It sounds grim, but we can save ourselves by educating ourselves and others and making different choices...see the movie!!).
Back to BPA and what we can do: It's overwhelming to hear about BPA being all around us, but I do think that not eating and drinking or cooking with #7 plastics is a start. (Note: There are some new bio-based plastics that are biodegradable and believed to be safe, which may be labeled #7 - you'll likely know if you're buying this kind of plastic as opposed to polycarbonate.) The other thing we have to do is spread the word to everyone we know and also to our elected officials. If you're not convinced, please read some of the information about the studies done on BPA at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange.
I have opened my blog up to the "blogger public" in an effort to share my story and get the word out about BPA. I really hope this will reach a lot of people.
Thanks for reading. Please pass it on.
Comments
I started having ovarian failure at 22, so I understand all about the havoc this can reap. Thankfully I had my miracle baby at 27, and we came home from China with our youngest daughter in June.
Best wishes for continued good health!
Chey
www.cheysu.blogspot.com