FDA Will Reexamine Potential BPA Bottle Risk

The issue of whether water and other bottles made from the plastic bisphenol-A (BPA) is dangerous to humans isn't quite settled yet, as far as the FDA is concerned. The FDA has decided to reconsider the potential risk posed by the material after its own advisory group accused the agency of "failing to adequately consider research about the dangers of bisphenol-A," according to an article in The New York Times.

A number of animal studies have linked BPA to risk of disease, including some by federal government agencies. BPA is used in many types of plastic bottles (including baby bottles) and in plastic containers, as well as other containers used for food.

Scientific American featured an article in April discussing what it saw as the reasons for suspicions surrounding BPA.

One study has found that the chemical is released more quickly when boiling water is placed in a container made from BPA, but says it's unclear what addition risk this might pose to humans.

The Canadian government is said to have restricted the use of certain products containing BPA, and to have banned baby bottles made with the chemical.

Plastic Chemical Bisphenol A Linked to Health Problems

It seems that bisphenol A, the controversial chemical used in plastics, is not off the hook for health problems just yet. BPA, as it's known, is found in items including baby bottles and those ubiquitous water bottles used by hikers, and WebMD is reporting that for the first time that bisphenol A has been linked to health problems including diabetes and heart disease. The WebMD article above has more details on the study findings and the problems associated with bisphenol A.

Bisphenol A is used in polycarbonate plastic, a type of hard plastic that can be found in the lining of some canned goods as well as the water and baby bottles. The findings were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and were presented Sept. 16th at a public hearing on bisphenol A held by the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA took a lot of heat for concluding that BPA was safe and ignoring safety concerns that had been brought up, according to a report on the FDA meeting from WebMD.