BPA exposure: Scientists spar over how contaminated we really are

A fight is brewing over just how polluted our bodies are by BPA, the plastic additive found in everything from canned food to thermal paper receipts and water bottles.

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BPA and babies: Controversial chemical and substitutes pollute the womb

Bisphenol A and its substitute chemicals—pervasive in food and beverage containers, canned goods and store receipts—are showing up in mothers' wombs at "unexpectedly high levels," according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

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Living on Earth: Food and Drug Admin. disputes BPA health risks

The chemical BPA, an endocrine disruptor, is widely used in food packaging. Environmental Health News published a reported series showing that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stacked the deck against findings from independent scientists that link BPA to harmful human health effects, ranging from birth defects to cancer. Science journalist Lynne Peeples joins Host Steve Curwood to discuss this investigation and why even BPA alternatives may also not be safe.

loe.org

Ocean plastic: How recycling creates tomorrow’s problems.

Sometimes plastic recycling is so much worse than just letting trash be trash.

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Fake science is a real danger

Paul Thacker: I once thought these scientists were being paranoid. Then I learned about the tobacco, pesticide, and climate disinformation industry targeting their research and reputations.

www.drillednews.com

FDA under scrutiny: Policymakers, advocates push for stronger science, regulation of the chemical BPA

Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) was pregnant with her second child when she became concerned about the toxic chemicals that she and her kids — and nearly all of us — encounter every day.

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Vandenberg, Trasande, Sargis: Understanding endocrine disruptors

We all want to live longer, healthier lives. We wish this, not only for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren, too.

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Looking ahead: Hormone-altering chemicals threaten our health, finances and future

I'm the founder and chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit launched in Charlottesville, Virginia, that publishes Environmental Health News and engages in scientific research and outreach to help the public and policy makers understand that we have many opportunities to prevent diseases and disabilities that are afflicting our families, friends and neighbors today.

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Federal tests 'dramatically' undercount BPA and other chemical exposures

Tests used by the federal government to determine how much of the chemical bisphenol A is in people's bodies have "dramatically underestimated" our exposure, according to an analysis published today.

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Exposed: How willful blindness keeps BPA on shelves and contaminating our bodies

We all are exposed daily to bisphenol-A (BPA) and other bisphenols – estrogen-like substances added to food can liners, paper receipts and plastic containers.

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Exposed: A scientific stalemate leaves our hormones and health at risk

This is part 1 of a 4-part investigation of the science surrounding the chemical BPA and the U.S. regulatory push to discredit independent evidence of harm while favoring pro-industry science despite significant shortcomings.

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Clouded in Clarity: A comic on chemicals & controversy

Harmful chemicals are difficult to understand. So, to pair with our investigation, "Exposed" we present EHN's first comic, "Clouded in Clarity," which focuses on BPA and the controversy around an ongoing, massive study on it.

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Exposed: On the edge of research honesty

This is part 2 of a 4-part investigation of the science surrounding the chemical BPA and the U.S. regulatory push to discredit independent evidence of harm while favoring pro-industry science despite significant shortcomings.

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Exposed: Deciphering the real message about BPA

This is part 3 of a 4-part investigation of the science surrounding the chemical BPA and the U.S. regulatory push to discredit independent evidence of harm while favoring pro-industry science despite significant shortcomings.

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Exposed: Toward a BPA-free future

This is part 4 of a 4-part investigation of the science surrounding the chemical BPA and the U.S. regulatory push to discredit independent evidence of harm while favoring pro-industry science despite significant shortcomings.

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California lawmakers reject ban on long paper receipts

Props, costumes and a Jimmy Kimmel joke weren't enough to prevent the California Senate from trashing a bill Friday that would have restricted retailers from routinely handing out unwanted and unusually long receipts.

bit.ly

Concerns raised over ‘regrettable’ BPA substitutions

Research indicates chemicals used as alternatives to bisphenol A in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins aren't always safer

www.chemistryworld.com

Young & restless: BPA, circadian rhythms, and hyperactivity

From obesity to autism, the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy and childhood are well known. However, new research shows that BPA exposure during pregnancy at levels once considered safe could disrupt circadian rhythms as well as lead to hyperactivity later in life.

endocrinenews.endocrine.org

BPA substitutes linked to obesity in children and teens

Two chemicals used as substitutes for bisphenol A (BPA) may contribute to childhood weight gain and obesity, according to a study published today in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

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Exposed to extreme heat, plastic bottles may ultimately become unsafe

In hot environments, before you reach for a plastic water bottle to keep hydrated, you might think twice about whether it too has been wilting under a hot sun.

www.nationalgeographic.co.uk

EU court upholds toxic designation for chemical BPA

A trade group for the plastics industry failed to persuade the European General Court on Thursday that the industrial chemical BPA should not be classified as toxic.

www.courthousenews.com

These mothers are boycotting plastic toys — and buying gardening sets made from recycled bottled caps

As Lego attempts to find alternatives to plastic, some parents are adamant about buying environmentally-friendly toys.

www.marketwatch.com

Illinois lawmakers targeting harmful chemical found in receipts

State senators passed a measure Tuesday that would prohibit BPA from being used in paper for business and banking records. Cash register paper and debit card and sales receipts would be included.

wgntv.com

Europe's Greens ready to be kingmakers in EU elections

Green candidates, on course for their best showing, could play a big role in a divided parliament. This will be important for climate, plastics, toxification and especially endocrine disruption.

www.theguardian.com

Living on Earth: Beyond the Headlines

Peter Dykstra takes Host Steve Curwood to the sinking Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The city has been plagued by subsidence and groundwater depletion, prompting the government to consider relocating to a safer, drier place.

loe.org

Georgia veterans' families sound health alarms over burn pits

Families of deceased military veterans in Georgia sound alarm over health risks of Iraq burn pits, but VA says evidence still sketchy.

www.ajc.com

EU Parliament on endocrine-disrupting compounds: Time to act

The European Parliament on Thursday called out the dangers posed by endocrine-disrupting compounds and urged the European Union to take action to safeguard human health and the environment.

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Jerry Heindel: A new hub for the science of hormone disruptors

When I was a Scientific Program Administrator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) I saw a lot of scientists doing strong research on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

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How to minimize exposures to hormone disrupters

Experts say adults and children alike can benefit from avoiding canned goods and certain plastics and substituting natural products for commercial cleaning products.

www.nytimes.com

Living on Earth: Beyond the Headlines

Peter Dykstra joins Host Steve Curwood to discuss the growing waste crisis that's been worsened by China's decision to no longer accept recycling from the U.S. Then, they talk about the generational impacts DDT and other endocrine disrupting chemicals may have in relation to breast cancer.

loe.org

Rick Smith, Bruce Lourie: The secret danger of everyday things

These days, the truly dangerous pollution is far subtler and more invisible, and more often than not it comes from the most innocuous of sources

www.theglobeandmail.com

What’s plastic doing to our bodies? This all-female team is investigating.

To trace the path of plastic from the ocean to our bodies, an eXXpedition sailed 3,000 miles of garbage-filled seas.

grist.org

Receipts are secretly really bad - why are we still using them?

Not only are they hugely wasteful, they’re also poisoning you every time you buy something.

www.fastcompany.com

VIDEO: How hormone-disrupting chemicals may harm our health

Evidence suggests chemicals like pesticides and phthalates may be linked to serious diseases like obesity, diabetes, brain disorders and fertility problems. It's detailed in Dr. Leonardo Trasande's new book, "Sicker, Fatter, Poorer.

www.cbsnews.com

Watch: The chemistry of a cover-up

In making our most recent film, The Devil We Know, we thought we understood the pervasive and insidious role that toxic chemicals play in our collective lives.

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