Journal 15: BPA

One of my first real interactions with chemical hazards was when plastic water bottles and cups started being labeled as BPA-free. I didn't know what BPA was or why I needed to avoid it. The only information I had was my mother claiming that BPA makes young girls aggressive. This led me to wonder more about the exposure of how toxic BPA is, what BPA is exactly, and why it's bad for us as humans and for the environment.

After doing some research on Mayo Clinic's website, I learned that Bisphenol=A (BPA) is a chemical that has been used in the manufacturing of plastic water bottle and epoxy resins since the 1960's. BPA is also used in food containers, on the inside of metal water bottles, and in many other polycarbonate plastic consumer products. Being a student currently taking chemistry, I was interested to learn what BPA is on an elemental level- nothing more than propane-2 and diphenol. It is also a xenoestrogen, meaning that it mimics estrogen levels in the body. This is also true of soy milk, so if you oppose soy for these reasons, make sure you aren't buying BPA-based products. This would show a large amount of hypocrisy- just another reason that knowing what chemicals hold your food is equally important to what food you're directly consuming. As someone who is very health conscious, this really stuck with me. I'm much more inclined to scan a nutrition label than I am to check how a container holding the food itself is made.

Being that BPA is a xenoestrogen, it's certainly dangerous. This answers why it's so bad for us. BPA can reak havoc on anyone, but we should be most concerned about infants and fetuses. BPA can impact their brain development and function, glands, and behavior. So, does BPA really make young girls aggressive like I was always told? Research from many sources would point to yes. When in the presence of BPA, girls as young as 3 years old showed signs of hyperactivity and aggression. This was especially interesting to me as someone who wonders about humans a lot. These girls also showed signs of anxiety and depression. This led me to wonder: what role do chemicals play in the ever-growing presence of mental illness in today's youth? Depression is known to be a chemical imbalance. What is the cause of these imbalances? Could it be harmful chemicals like BPA?

There are things we can do to avoid the harmful effects of BPA. Europe even tried to call for a continent-wide ban of it. Although this is not the case for America, you can still purchase products that are certifiably BPA-free. Most canned foods are lined with epoxy resin, so limiting those or buying foods in glass jars instead can limit your BPA consumption. Microwaving tupperware is a surefire way to allow BPA to leech into your food-avoid this as well. It's no shocker that sustainable materials like glass, porcelain, and stainless steel are BPA-free. When you are environmentally conscious, you reap the benefits it can bring you as an individual as well.