What is BPA?

If you are unfamiliar with it, bisphenol A, often referred to as BPA, is a chemical used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It is used to help harden plastics and as a plasticizer to produce tough, durable resins. BPA is also an additive used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Initially discovered in the late 1800s, it wasn’t until the mid-twentieth century when scientists established the use of BPA in plastics.

Is BPA harmful to humans?

While believed for years to be a weak environmental estrogen, there is mounting evidence connecting BPA with a variety of human health issues. Routes of exposure include ingestion, inhalation, and transdermal absorption. That’s right, you can absorb BPA through your skin! BPA also has the potential to bioaccumulate, which means that once it’s in your body, it does not really like to leave.

• BPA has been shown to play a role in a variety of endocrine disorders, including female and male infertility, precocious puberty, thyroid dysfunction, and breast and prostate cancers. (source)

• There is evidence linking the effects of BPA to metabolic disorders such as PCOS, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. (source)

• A correlation has also been found between high levels of BPA and chronic health issues like obesity and cardiovascular disease. (source)

• Some sources equate the effects of BPA with that of 17β-estradiol, the estrogen secreted by the ovaries in pre-menopausal women