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toc =** Bisphenol A **=

** Abstract **
Bisphenol A is a chemical used in plastics, dental sealants, and lining inside of metal cans. It is a synthetic hormone, that when these things are heated or let sit for long periods of time the chemical leaks out and enters your food or whatever the container is holding. It has been known to disrupt the reproductive system in pregnant woman.

Bisphenol A has been used as a synthetic hormone for estrogen. It has the most effect on fetuses and newborns because they eat, drink, and breathe more than adults on a pound to pound basis. There is a long list of effects that BPA has on the brain and behavior including hyperactivity, aggression, impaired learning, and a higher chance of an addiction to drugs and alcohol. It has not been banned in any countries because at this point and time because there is no substitution from it. There has bee some action against it in San Francisco that banned it in children’s toys because children are the people who will be affected by it the most.

I think that there is no chance that Bisphenol A can be avoided but there is precautions that can be held against it. I think that it should be banned from children toys worldwide since children are the only one’s that has shown effects so far. Besides that don’t microwave plastics, and don’t leave canned foods in the refrigerator are very simple ways to limit BPA intake. I feel as though BPA should eventually fade out and scientists should keep working to find a replacement. Until then be careful.

** Background **
Bisphenol A is used in household items like tuba ware and water bottles. It is also used to make CD’s and DVD’s. The reason that it is used for these things is because it is transparent and it has high heat and electrical resistance. It is also used in electrical laminates for circuit boards, composites, paints, and adhesives and the lining inside of metal cans to maintain the quality of canned food and beverages. The reason that it is used for so many things is because it has been recognized for a great combination of toughness, adhesion, formability, and chemical resistance. Bisphenol A is banned in the production of baby bottles and the containers with baby food in it only in Canada. After that Nalgene and Wal-Mart ceased the use of that chemical in their production of baby related items.

** Synthesis **
Bisphenol A is manufactured by an ion exchanger resin, catalyzed condensation of acetone and phenol. It is not found organically. Acetone is an organic colorless and flammable material. Phenol is a carbolic acid, which is toxic and is white with a crystalline make-up. Bisphenol A is completely man made, and so far there is no other replacement better or worse that we have created to replace it.

** Human Health Impacts **
BPA has been tested on both non-pregnant and pregnant animals and has shown some effect on the pregnant animals reproductive organs hindering with and tampering with the babies’ development process and their prostate glands, partly because BPA used to be used as a synthetic hormone for estrogen. When tested on these animals they were tested at levels that are common to which humans receive and so there was some reason for concern. In most of the tests and studies it only showed effects in fetuses and newborns. The reason that BPA might be affecting newborns rather than adults is because they eat, drink, and breathe more than adults for a pound to pound basis. Some more concerns from the exposure of BPA are diabetes and obesity, Down syndrome, reduced sperm count, breast cancer, prostate disease and cancer, impaired immune function and changes in brain chemistry. The NTP also has some concern for the effects on the brain, and behavior like hyperactivity, increase in aggression, impaired learning, altered socio-sexual behaviors, and increased chance to gain a drug addiction. The NTP has minimal concern for the effects on the mammary gland, which is the gland that produces milk in mammals for their children and an earlier age for puberty in females.

** Environmental Health Impacts **
The last EPA risk assessment on BPA was held in the 1980’s and didn’t consider BPA as estrogen. BPA is released into the air during the process of making the items inside of the manufacturing plants. Recent studies have shown that BPA degrades rapidly in surface water and has a half-life of about 1 to 4 days. BPA does not become concentrated inside of living things (bioaccumulate). To imagine the contents of BPA in lakes and streams think of it as 1 drop of BPA inside of 40,000 gallons of water. Bisphenol A has shown no real effects on the environment.

** Economic and Political Impacts **
So far, Bisphenol A has not been banned in any countries. Reason is because we have not found an alternative to replace it, cost-efficient of not. Banning Bisphenol-A would have major implications on the already failing economy because the fact that is in so many household products and the production of it is being made constantly.

To ban it completely the government would have to have the power to go into every household and remove all the tub aware, baby bottle, canned foods, CDs, DVDs and so much more and reimburse each person and since they have no replacements we would have to go without these things until they do. America has built it's economy on the convenience of the American people. To try and do this would start enormous uproars and the government would be held under scrutiny for wasting the American people's tima and money.

San Francisco passed a law in June of 2006 that banned children toys with levels of BPA inside of them. This law was designed for the protection of the children. On April 17 of 2007 the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco unanimously voted to repeal the ban due to the fact that the different industries began to sue.

** Summary **
At this point, time, and age there is no possible way to completely avoid Bisphenol A. It is everywhere where you eat, work, and live but it does not pose that much of a dangerous threat unless consumed in it’s purest from over a long period of time. It is legalized in all countries; reason being is because there is NO substitution. It is not an issue of a country being cheap or unaware, it is an issue of not knowing. All you can currently do at the moment is be precarious and avoid consuming it in large amounts. That includes not microwaving plastics or baby bottles that have our food in it. I feel as though it is necessary that we eventually find a replacement so the idea of this should not be thrown into the gutter, but until then it should not be an issue. =media type="custom" key="3493430"=