Fertilitet & miljö påverkan, bisphenol-A m.m.

[tomas]

En väldigt intressant dokumentär i ämnet fertilitet och vår miljö, m.m.

The Disappearing Male,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7530701744597358451

Alternativ länk till dokumentären,
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/docplayer2.html?playlistId=f21067aaabfdece3076458e7e035e69febe7cfe7&id=911913844


The Disappearing Male,
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/disappearingmale/

The Disappearing Male,
Thursday June 11 at 8 pm on CBC-TV & Saturday June 13, 2009 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld

"We are conducting a vast toxicological experiment in which our children and our children's children are the experimental subjects." Dr. Herbert Needleman

The Disappearing Male is about one of the most important, and least publicized, issues facing the human species: the toxic threat to the male reproductive system......mera

Factsheet: Male Infertility,
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/disappearingmale/infertility.html

Factsheet: Male Infertility

There are more than 20 heavily industrialized nations where the birth of baby boys has declined every year for the past 30 years - amounting to 3 million fewer baby boys....mera

Chemical cocktail 'risk to boys',

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8047230.stm

Chemical cocktail 'risk to boys'

Chemicals found in many food, cosmetic and cleaning products pose a real threat to male fertility, a leading scientist has warned.

Professor Richard Sharpe, of the Medical Research Council, warned these hormone-disrupting chemicals were "feminising" boys in the womb……mera

'Gender-bending' fear over plastic drinks bottles,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1186128/Gender-bending-fear-plastic-drinks-bottles.html

'Gender-bending' fear over plastic drinks bottles

By Jenny Hope
Last updated at 2:00 AM on 22nd May 2009
Comments (31) Add to My Stories
Drink from plastic bottles can raise the body’s levels of a controversial ‘gender-bending’ chemical by more than two thirds, according to tests.
Experts have been concerned about the possible health effects of bisphenol A (BPA) - an everyday chemical used in many plastic food and drink containers and tins as well as clear baby bottles - which is officially classified as toxic in some countries.
A study found that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles showed a 69 per cent increase in their urine of BPA, which mimics the female sex hormone oestrogen…..mera

Google,
http://www.google.com/search?hl=sv&q=plastic+baby+bottles+toxic


-Tomas

[tomas]

Testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) – deteriorating male reproductive health,
http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/distds.php

Testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) – deteriorating male reproductive health

Testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) is used to describe male sexual disorders that may be apparent at birth or show up in adulthood. They are thought to be linked to abnormal events that occur when baby boys are developing in-utero.  These disorders affect a surprisingly large number of men.

The disorders evident at birth include cryptorchidism where one or both testicles do not descend into the scrotum and hypospadia where the urethral opening is wrongly located on the penis. In many cases both of these disorders require surgical correction.  In adulthood, low sperm counts/infertility and testicular cancer are also becoming increasingly common in young men. These 4 disorders are considered to be interconnected in many cases, and baby boys with undescended testes are at greater risk of having low sperm counts and developing testicular cancer.

It is generally thought that abnormal development of the cells in the testicles, plus interference with sex hormones, eg testosterone (the male hormone), are probably the cause.  Genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors may play a part, but for testicular cancer the increase over the last 40 years is such that it must be something in the environment or lifestyle factors that are largely to blame, because genes in a population do not change that quickly.  It’s a hypothesis that is the cause of much concern within the medical community and and has been written about extensively in many respected journals, including The British Medical Journal and The Lancet.

Several man-made chemicals have the ability to block the male hormone.  In animals these chemicals can give rise to undescended testicles, malformation of the penis and low sperm counts.  Therefore, there is concern that these chemicals may have similar effects in humans.  Concerns are increased because it is known that many of these chemicals can act together to cause effects even when each is below a concentration to cause an effect on its own.   However, it is very difficult to prove or disprove whether these chemicals are actually causing the demasculinising effects that are now being seen in men.   Nevertheless, many scientists are now raising their concerns about the action of these endocrine or hormone disrupting chemicals, which can block the male hormone testosterone.   

The concern for human health is underlined by findings in wildlife.  Male fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals have all been harmed by chemicals in the environment, and feminisation is widespread.  See CHEM Trust’s December 2008 report entitled “Effects of Pollutants on the Reproductive Health of Male Vertebrate Wildlife - Males Under Threat” 


The seriousness of the male reproductive health problem is highlighted by recent health statistics from Denmark where trends in reproductive diseases, including testicular cancer, are showing a worrying increase..........mera

CHEM Trust publications on Male Reproductive Health,
http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/Male_reproductive_health.php

Inte helt i "ämnet" men intressant likväl,

CHEM Trust publications on Breast Cancer,
http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/breastcancer.php

-Tomas

[tomas]

Why boys are turning into girls,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/geoffrey-lean/6418553/Why-boys-are-turning-into-girls.html

Why boys are turning into girls
Published: 7:00PM BST 23 Oct 2009

Gender-bending chemicals are largely exempt from new EU regulations, warns Geoffrey Lean.



Girls will be girls and boys will be girls: everyday 'gender-bending' chemicals are feminising increasing numbers of babies Photo: Getty Creative

Here's something rather rotten from the State of Denmark. Its government yesterday unveiled official research showing that two-year-old children are at risk from a bewildering array of gender-bending chemicals in such everyday items as waterproof clothes, rubber boots, bed linen, food, nappies, sunscreen lotion and moisturising cream.

The 326-page report, published by the environment protection agency, is the latest piece in an increasingly alarming jigsaw. A picture is emerging of ubiquitous chemical contamination driving down sperm counts and feminising male children all over the developed world. And anti-pollution measures and regulations are falling far short of getting to grips with it.

Sperm counts are falling so fast that young men are less fertile than their fathers and produce only a third as much, proportionately, as hamsters. And gender-bending chemicals are increasingly being blamed for the mystery of the "lost boys": babies who should normally be male who have been born as girls instead.

The Danish government set out to find out how much contamination from gender-bending chemicals a two-year-old child was exposed to every day. It concluded that a child could be "at critical risk" from just a few exposures to high levels of the substances, such as from rubber clogs, and imperilled by the amount it absorbed from sources ranging from food to sunscreens.

The results build on earlier studies showing that British children have higher levels of gender-bending chemicals in their blood than their parents or grandparents. Indeed WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund), which commissioned the older research, warned that the chemicals were so widespread that "there is very little, if anything, individuals can do to prevent contamination of themselves and their families." Prominent among them are dioxins, PVC, flame retardants, phthalates (extensively used to soften plastics) and the now largely banned PCBs, one and a half million tons of which were used in countless products from paints to electrical equipment.

Young boys, like those in the Danish study, could end up producing less sperm and developing feminised behaviour. Research at Rotterdam's Erasmus University found that boys whose mothers were exposed to PCBs and dioxins were more likely to play with dolls and tea sets and dress up in female clothes.

And it is in the womb that babies are most vulnerable; a study of umbilical cords from British mothers found that every one contained hazardous chemicals. Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that boys born to women exposed to phthalates had smaller penises and other feminisation of the genitals.

The contamination may also offer a clue to a mysterious shift in the sex of babies. Normally 106 boys are born for every 100 girls: it is thought to be nature's way of making up for the fact that men were more likely to be killed hunting or in conflict. But the proportion of females is rising, so much so that some 250,000 babies who statistically should have been boys have ended up as girls in Japan and the United States alone. In Britain, the discrepancy amounts to thousands of babies a year.

A Canadian Indian community living on ancestral lands at the eastern tip of Lake Huron, hemmed in by one of the biggest agglomerations of chemical factories on earth, gives birth to twice as many girls as boys. It's the same around Seveso in Italy, contaminated with dioxins from a notorious accident in the 1970s, and among Russian pesticide workers. And there's more evidence from places as far apart as Israel and Taiwan, Brazil and the Arctic.

Yet gender-benders are largely exempt from new EU regulations controlling hazardous chemicals. Britain, then under Tony Blair's premiership, was largely responsible for this – restricting their inclusion in the first draft of the legislation, and then causing even what was included to be watered down.Confidential documents show that it did so after pressure from George W Bush's administration, which protested that US exports "could be impacted".

Now the Danish government is planning to lobby to have the rules toughened up. It is particularly concerned by other studies which show that gender-bending chemicals acting together have far worse effects than the expected sum of their individual impacts. It wants this to be reflected in the regulations, citing its discovery of the many sources to which the two-year-olds are exposed – modern slings and arrows, as it were, of outrageous fortune.

-Tomas

[tomas]

Plastic chemicals 'feminise boys'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8361863.stm

Plastic chemicals 'feminise boys'
10:23 GMT, Monday, 16 November 2009

Chemicals in plastics alter the brains of baby boys, making them "more feminine", say US researchers.


Male hormones drive boyish play

Males exposed to high doses in the womb went on to be less likely to play with boys' toys like cars or to join in rough and tumble games, they found.

The University of Rochester team's latest work adds to concerns about the safety of phthalates, found in vinyl flooring and PVC shower curtains.

The findings are reported in the International Journal of Andrology.

Plastic furniture

Phthalates have the ability to disrupt hormones, and have been banned in toys in the EU for some years.

However, they are still widely used in many different household items, including plastic furniture and packaging.

There are many different types and some mimic the female hormone oestrogen.

This feminising capacity of phthalates makes them true 'gender benders'
Elizabeth Salter-Green, director of CHEM Trust

The same researchers have already shown that this can mean boys are born with genital abnormalities.

Now they say certain phthalates also impact on the developing brain, by knocking out the action of the male hormone testosterone.

Dr Shanna Swan and her team tested urine samples from mothers over midway through pregnancy for traces of phthalates.

The women, who gave birth to 74 boys and 71 girls, were followed up when their children were aged four to seven and asked about the toys the youngsters played with and the games they enjoyed.

Girls' play

They found that two phthalates DEHP and DBP can affect play behaviour.

Boys exposed to high levels of these in the womb were less likely than other boys to play with cars, trains and guns or engage in "rougher" games like playfighting.

Elizabeth Salter-Green, director of the chemicals campaign group CHEM Trust, said the results were worrying.

PHTHALATES
* There are many different types and the most commonly used are deemed entirely safe by regulators
* DEHP - used to make PVC soft and pliable and used in products like flooring
* DBP - used as a plasticiser in glues, dyes and textiles

"We now know that phthalates, to which we are all constantly exposed, are extremely worrying from a health perspective, leading to disruption of male reproduction health and, it appears, male behaviour too.

"This feminising capacity of phthalates makes them true 'gender benders'."

She acknowledged that the boys who have been studied were still young, but she said reduced masculine play at this age might lead to other feminised developments in later life.

But Tim Edgar, of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates, said: "We need to get some scientific experts to look at this study in more detail before we can make a proper judgement."

He said there were many different phthalates in use and the study concerned two of the less commonly used types that were on the EU candidate list as potentially hazardous and needing authorisation for use.

DBP has been banned from use in cosmetics, such as nail varnish, since 2005 in the EU.

The British Plastics Federation said: "Chemical safety is of paramount importance to the plastics industry which has invested heavily in researching the substances it uses.

"Moreover, the new European Chemical Regulation, REACH, will ensure further rigorous evaluation and testing or chemical substances and their uses."

-Tomas

[tomas]

Chemical cocktail 'risk to boys'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8047230.stm

Chemical cocktail 'risk to boys'


Chemicals may disrupt male development in the womb

Chemicals found in many food and cosmetic products pose a real threat to male fertility, a leading scientist has warned.

Professor Richard Sharpe, of the Medical Research Council, warned these hormone-disrupting chemicals were "feminising" boys in the womb.

He linked them to raising rates of birth defects and testicular cancer and falling sperm counts.

Campaigners called for action to address the problem.

They warned that while exposure to a single chemical may cause no harm, the cumulative effect could be profound.

Professor Sharpe's report was commissioned by the CHEM Trust, a charity which works to protect humans and wildlife from harmful chemicals.

There is evidence that male reproductive health is deteriorating, with malformations of the penis becoming more common, rates of testicular cancer rising, and sperm counts falling.

It is thought that all these conditions - collectively called Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome (TDS) - are linked to disruption of the male sex hormone testosterone.

HORMONE DISRUPTORS

Chemicals in consumer products and food that have been reported to disrupt the sex hormones include:

* Phthalates: Found in vinyl flooring, plastics, soaps, toothpaste
* Bisphenol: Found in babies' bottles, food can linings. mobile phones, computers
* Pesticides: Including pyrethroids, linuron, vinclozolin and fenitrothion

Professor Sharpe concludes that exposure to a cocktail of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the environment is likely to be at least partly to blame by blocking the action of testosterone in the womb.

His latest report highlights animal studies showing that testosterone-disrupting chemicals can cause TDS-like disorders.

In addition, de-masculinisation effects due to chemical pollutants in the environment has been reported in many species of wildlife.

The direct evidence of an effect in humans is so far less compelling - but is beginning to mount.

Minimise exposure

Professor Sharpe said: "Because it is the summation of effect of hormone-disrupting chemicals that is critical, and the number of such chemicals that humans are exposed to is considerable, this provides the strongest possible incentive to minimise human exposure to all relevant hormone disruptors, especially women planning pregnancy, as it is obvious that the higher the exposure the greater the risk."

New EU chemicals legislation, called REACH (Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals) puts the onus on the chemical industry to prove that its products are safe.

Campaigners say it could be used to reduce exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals.

Elizabeth Salter Green, CHEM Trust director, said; "Chemicals that have been shown to act together to affect male reproductive health should have their risks assessed together.

"Currently that is not the case, and unfortunately chemicals are looked at on an individual basis.

"Therefore, government assurances that exposures are too low to have any effect just do not hold water because regulators do not take into account the additive actions of hormone disrupting chemicals.

"It is high time that public health policy is based on good science and that regulatory authorities have health protection, rather than industry protection, uppermost in mind."

Ms Green advised pregnant women to keep cosmetic use to a minimum and avoid DIY.

A government spokesperson said the report would be studied with interest, and that the risks to health of hormone-disrupting chemicals were regularly reviewed by the Scientific Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT).

"The Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency are also currently involved in work relevant to this issue. We will continue to consider any new evidence that emerges."

A statement from the COT in 2006 concluded there was no clear link between data from animal experiments and trends in humans - but it was an important area for research.

The UK Cleaning Products Industry Association stressed that any hormone-disrupting chemicals had been removed from its products.

-Tomas

[tomas]

Lite mer om Phthalates,

Phthalates used in pharmaceutical coatings,
Phthalates in antidepressant SSRI drugs,
Body care products are another source of phthalates,
(en del av innehållet postat redan, men inte allt)
http://www.naturalnews.com/z027514_phthalates_feminization.html

Chemicals in Baby Products Linked to Reproductive Problems in Children,
http://www.naturalnews.com/022777_chemicals_baby_products_phthalates.html

SSRI Antidepressants Linked To Male Infertility ,
http://www.naturalnews.com/026483_SSRI_sperm_fertility.html

Depression Medications May Reduce Male Fertility,
http://news.med.cornell.edu/wcmc/wcmc_2009/06_11_09.shtml


-Tomas

[tomas]

Film - Dokumentär, Underkastelsen,
http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/tungt-budskap-fran-stefan-jarl_4604069.svd

Tungt budskap från Stefan Jarl
Publicerad: 22 april 2010, 16.17. Senast ändrad: 22 april 2010, 16.32

Larmrapporterna om gifter i vår närmiljö har hamnat i skuggan av klimatförändringarna. Dokumentärfilmaren Stefan Jarl vill visa att kemikalieindustrin är mer välmående än någonsin – sedan andra världskriget har produktionen stigit från 1 miljon till 500 miljoner ton kemikalier per år, ämnen som långsamt ackumuleras i våra kroppar.

Stefan Jarl har samlat 23 professorer verksamma på lärosäten runtom i Europa och Nordamerika, som delar med sig av sin forskning om hur kemiska ämnen påverkar oss. Regissören kavlar själv upp skjortärmarna och låter analysera sitt blod. Snart har Åke Bergman, professor vid institutionen för miljökemi vid Stockholms universitet, hittat ett hundratal olika ämnen, bland annat gamla bekämpningsmedel. EU-kommissionären Margot Wallström och skådespelaren Eva Röse, som är höggravid, låter också undersöka sig. Och det är just de ofödda barnen som Jarl sätter i centrum för att ruska om sin publik maximalt. För inte ens i moderlivet kommer vi undan gifterna. En skakad Eva Röse får veta att hennes blod innehåller ovanligt höga halter av bromerade flamskyddsmedel, kemikalier som hennes son nu också fått i sig via navelsträngen. Ett annat dolt hot är de ämnen som påverkar människors – och djurs – förmåga att fortplanta sig.

Stefan Jarl väver in utdrag ur Kafkas Förvandlingen (PD James Människors barn hade väl faktiskt varit en snyggare passning). Professorerna, som alla filmas som talking heads mot svart bakgrund, varvas med bilder på vattenfall, skogslandskap, höstlöv. Inte ens den orörda naturen är ren, ska vi tänka. I slutscenen poserar Eva Röse som Jungfru Maria med sitt barn – man kan inte anklaga Stefan Jarl för att vara minimalistisk. Kopplingen till regissörens barndom då han underkastade sig sina föräldrar haltar. Som visselblåsare förtjänar Stefan Jarl dock all respekt, det är ett tungt dokument han langar fram.

Karoline Eriksson
karoline.eriksson@svd.se

-Tomas

[tomas]

I ett i-land behöver födslotalen ligga på ~2.1 dvs 2.1 barn i snitt för att behålla befolknings nivån i ett land.

I alla i-länder (tror det är alla) ligger den väl under detta dvs befolkningsmängden sjunker i "västvärlden".

~2.1 gäller som tal där vi har en hygglig standard för människor, i u-länder ligger siffran betydligt högre.

När det gäller miljöeffekter orsakade av kemikalier så är vi i-länder betydligt mer utsatta för dessa av naturliga skäl, vi har "råd med det".

"From the horses mouth",
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html

Country Comparison : Total fertility rate     
This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate (TFR) is a more direct measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for population change in the country. A rate of two children per woman is considered the replacement rate for a population, resulting in relative stability in terms of total numbers. Rates above two children indicate populations growing in size and whose median age is declining. Higher rates may also indicate difficulties for families, in some situations, to feed and educate their children and for women to enter the labor force. Rates below two children indicate populations decreasing in size and growing older. Global fertility rates are in general decline and this trend is most pronounced in industrialized countries, especially Western Europe, where populations are projected to decline dramatically over the next 50 years.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/03/08/22472.aspx

Jobbade som konsult med sjukhussystem i början av 90 talet och ett av problemen som var fastslagna/diskuterades redan då var att mängden av ungdomar som skulle behövas framöver i äldreomsorgen vilket var en ekvation som var svår/omöjlig att få ihop. (Japans problem känner nog alla till)

Ingen har väl nu missat den nu igångsatta debatten om dödshjälp här i Sverige. (och i flera andra länder)

Om man analyserar Obamacare lite så ser man USA's "recept" för att hantera detta, om nu någon får något alls för först ska dom betala i 4 år innan dom får något.

Givetvis så finns också en massa andra "innovativa" sätt,
Från Reuters,
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63M5D420100423

Breast Cancer diagnosis = dropped insurance	LQ | LQ+ | HQ | HQ+

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”Sverige borde stoppa bisfenolplast”
http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/sverige-borde-stoppa-bisfenolplast_4695659.svd

”Sverige borde stoppa bisfenolplast”
Publicerad: 9 maj 2010, 20.56. Senast ändrad: 10 maj 2010, 14.22

Kemikalieinspektionens vill att Sverige gör som Danmark och stoppar den omtvistade plastkemikalien bisfenol i nappflaskor. Men Livsmedelsverket vill inte föregripa EU:s bedömning av det hormonstörande ämnet.

År 1993 upptäckte amerikanska forskare svårbegripliga förändringar i helt obehandlade cellprover. Först efter rejäl tankemöda insåg de att orsaken var de nya provrören i polykarbonat som proverna förvarades i.

Sedan dess har omkring 200 studier rapporterat hormonstörande effekter av bisfenol och i många fall vid doser långt under vad EU hävdar är säkert......mera

-Tomas

[tomas]

BPA-Heart Disease Link Fails to Ruffle FDA,
http://www.healthiertalk.com/bpa-heart-disease-link-fails-ruffle-fda-1552

BPA-Heart Disease Link Fails to Ruffle FDA
By Jon Barron on 03/10/2010

     If there was a hit list of the nasty chemicals cited most often, bisphenol-A (BPA), might top the charts. It seems that barely a month goes by without the appearance of some new study that points to the deadly consequences of exposure to the stuff (and we’ve all been exposed, but more on that later).

     The latest research to hit the news concerns the fact that BPA appears strongly linked to coronary heart disease. Scientists at the University of Exeter in Great Britain reviewed data revealing BPA concentrations in the urine samples of 1,493 adult subjects. They found that those with the highest concentrations of BPA were twice as likely to have coronary heart disease compared to those with the lowest levels. And the thing that makes the data doubly damning is that this is the second study to find just those results.

     In both studies, the researchers reviewed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, one of the largest studies ever done examining health and nutrition. The first study, completed in 2008, analyzed 1493 urine samples, drawn in 2003 and 2004, for BPA content. The recent study looked at 1455 samples taken from a different group of subjects between 2005 and 2006. Both studies revealed a strong association between higher rates of BPA and the heightened risk of heart disease. In fact, the first study found three times the risk of heart disease plus a two-and-a-half times risk of diabetes associated with high BPA levels. Subjects with high BPA levels also had elevated liver enzymes. The diabetes and liver enzyme link was replicated in the second study, although the risk was far reduced.

     The reason for the lowered diabetes and liver results may be that the levels of BPA detected in the 2004-2005 subjects were 30 percent lower, on average, than the levels found in subjects a few years earlier. This is the good news aspect of the study — BPA levels actually appear to be dropping. The researchers believe this may be a result of growing public awareness of the dangers of BPA. More people now know, for instance, that plastics contain BPA and that heating it releases the BPA content. And so, fewer people now nuke plastic containers in the microwave or leave water bottles out in the sun. Also, it may be that canned good consumption has declined, say the researchers, noting that cans often have a BPA-enhanced lining.

     But even in the second sample, 25 percent of the subjects had notably high levels of BPA — notable enough, as mentioned above, to double their heart-disease risk. As study co-director Tamara Galloway points out, "If you see it once, that’s interesting. If you see it twice in a separate population, it’s a strong indication that what you’re seeing is not just some chance finding." In any event, if that 25 percent factor holds for the population at large, that puts a huge number of people at risk given that BPA is pervasive worldwide. As Dr. Frederick vom Saal, a BPA expert at the University of Missouri, says, "Expand that [25 percent figure] to six billion people — roughly the world’s current population — and you’ve got a billion people in harm’s way [due to BPA]." This threat is compounded by the fact that the researchers believe their study drastically underestimates the number of people adversely affected by BPA because of the relatively small sample size, meaning that far more than a billion people might be at risk from BPA exposure.

     I’ve written before that the risk, unfortunately, extends far beyond heart disease and diabetes. Over 150 peer-reviewed studies have linked BPA exposure to issues including cancer, Alzheimer’s, Down syndrome, obesity, and developmental and reproductive abnormalities. Even with the growing awareness, BPA remains pervasive in products and the environment at large. As of last year, 95-percent of all baby bottles on the market contained the chemical. It is still found universally in food wrappers, canned foods, and plastic containers. BPA has been found in the urine of 90% of the population, and in spite of all the bad press the chemical gets, Business Wire just posted a report projecting that BPA sales would actually increase by up to three percent from 2010 to 2015.

     It seems, though, that no amount of evidence, no avalanche of studies, nothing at all will move the FDA from its refusal to impose limitations on BPA. Although the agency recently (at last) admitted there "may" be some problem with the stuff, that admission is clouded by language that borders on a retraction. The official statement reads:

     "At this interim stage, FDA shares the perspective of the National Toxicology Program that recent studies provide reason for some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. FDA also recognizes substantial uncertainties with respect to the overall interpretation of these studies and their potential implications for human health effects of BPA exposure." In other words, the 152 studies now on the books can’t possibly be right, but we’ll look into it when we get around to it. In the meantime, we need to get back to our real work of keeping alternative health products off the market.

    Meanwhile, FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg has issued a separate statement saying, "At this time, we share the perspective of the NTP [National Toxicology Program] of some concern of health effects of BPA. This means we need to know more." The agency does suggest that people take reasonable steps to limit exposure, but still holds that BPA is probably safe, even for infants. In fact, their statement issued on January 10, 2010, says, "FDA is not recommending that families change the use of infant formula or foods, as the benefit of a stable source of good nutrition outweighs the potential risk from BPA exposure."

     The facts are clear. At this point in time, you can’t depend on the FDA to protect you from BPA. Do your best to avoid the stuff. Use glass instead of plastic whenever you can, if you must use plastic do not heat it, and avoid canned goods unless they explicitly state that the container has no BPA.

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Våra lagstiftande byråkrater håller på och ältar något som varit känt en längre tid och där man borde slagit till handbromsen direkt, man kan undra varför?

Regeringen utreder bisfenolförbud,
http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/regeringen-utreder-bisfenolforbud-1.1145339

Regeringen utreder bisfenolförbud
Uppdaterat 2010-07-29 12:48. Publicerat 2010-07-29 12:47

Regeringen vill gå före EU och införa ett nationellt förbud mot det hormonstörande ämnet bisfenol A i bland annat nappflaskor. Kemikalieinspektionen och Livsmedelsverket ska utreda hur förbudet ska utformas och vilka produkter som ska omfattas.

Miljöminister Andreas Carlgren uttalade redan i våras, efter påtryckningar från bland andra Kemikalieinspektionen (Kemi), att Sverige tänkte förbereda ett nationellt förbud mot bisfenol A. Vid regeringens sommarfika på torsdagen berättade miljöminister Andreas Carlgren att berörda myndigheter nu fått i uppdrag att utreda ett svenskt förbud.

– Vi vet att ämnet kan vara farligt i nappflaskor för spädbarn. Man ska inte behöva riskera att barn få i sig hormonstörande ämnen eller ämnen som kan störa fortplantningsförmågan, säger han......mera

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Läs detta!
(man kan nog misstänka att detta gäller i Sverige också)

BPA Receipts Bombshell: Paper Slips Contain High Levels of Bisphenol A,
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20011903-10391704.html

BPA Receipts Bombshell: Paper Slips Contain High Levels of Bisphenol A
July 28, 2010 11:08 AM
Posted by Aina Hunter



(CBS) If you're worried about being exposed to the cancer-causing compound BPA, you may already know to be wary of some water bottles and food cans.

But you'll never guess where BPA, a.k.a. bisphenol A, is showing up now:

Cash register receipts.

Extraordinarily high levels of BPA were found on two-fifths of the paper receipts tested recently by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.

In some cases, the amount of BPA on a given receipt was 1,000 times the levels found in a can of food.

Receipts were collected from ATM's, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and the like. "Wipe tests" showed that the coating of BPA of paper receipts would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them.

The chemical can be absorbed into the skin and transferred to the digestive tract by touching the mouth.

Animal tests have linked BPA exposure to a range of health problems, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, and early puberty. The studies are controversial though, and how they related to human health is not fully clear, according to WebMD.

The organization offered tips for consumers eager to limit their exposure to BPA on receipts, including washing your hands after handling receipts and never giving a child a receipt to play with.

But maybe the best tip is simply to decline the offer for a printed receipt after an ATM transaction.

After all, in this economy, who needs to be reminded of their balance?

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Synthetic estrogen BPA coats cash register receipts
EWG-commissioned lab tests find BPA-laden receipts from big national retailers
http://www.ewg.org/bpa-in-store-receipts

Synthetic estrogen BPA coats cash register receipts
EWG-commissioned lab tests find BPA-laden receipts from big national retailers



 The plastic component bisphenol A (BPA) has been in the headlines nonstop as scientists, health experts and consumers press for a federal ban on food packaging made with this synthetic estrogen, shown to leach readily into infant formula, beverages and canned food. But most Americans are probably unaware that they are regularly exposed to the same endocrine-disrupting chemical in cash register receipts.

Two-fifths of the paper receipts tested by a major laboratory commissioned by Environmental Working Group were on heat-activated paper that was between 0.8 to nearly 3 percent pure BPA by weight. Wipe tests conducted with a damp laboratory paper easily picked up a portion of the receipts' BPA coating, indicating that the chemical would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them. The receipts came from major retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, fast-food restaurants, post offices and automatic teller machines (ATMs).

Major retailers using BPA-containing receipts in at least some outlets included McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway and the U.S. Postal Service. Receipts from some major chains, including Target, Starbucks and Bank of America ATMs, issued receipts that were BPA-free or contained only trace amounts.........mera

Om du inte tror att exponering via huden är ett problem, ta en vilöksklyfta och gnugga under foten och kolla hur lång tid det tar innan du känner smaken i munnen, eller för den delen funktionen av ett nikotinplåster.


-Tomas

[tomas]

BPA found in virtually all canned foods,
http://www.naturalnews.com/030031_BPA_canned_foods.html

3 Suspect Plastics to Avoid in Baby Bottles, Water Bottles,
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/plastic-bottles-toxins-water-bottles-460410

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Samt ett land som gjort det enda rätta, och tänk på hur snabbt man nu lagstiftar om alternativa läkemedel här men BPA kan fortgå år efter år.

Bisphenol A officially declared toxic by Canada,
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Legislation/Bisphenol-A-officially-declared-toxic-by-Canada

Canada became the first country in the world yesterday to declare bisphenol A (BPA) to be a toxic substance that poses risks to human health and the environment......mera


-Tomas

[tomas]

BPA spikes 1,200 percent after eating canned soup: study,
http://news.yahoo.com/bpa-spikes-1-200-percent-eating-canned-soup-210919265.html

People who ate canned soup for five days straight saw their urinary levels of the chemical bisphenol A spike 1,200 percent compared to those who ate fresh soup, US researchers said on Tuesday.

The randomized study, described as "one of the first to quantify BPA levels in humans after ingestion of canned foods," was done by Harvard University researchers and appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association's November 23 issue.

"We've known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body," said lead author Jenny Carwile, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health......................mera


-Tomas