To BPA or Not to BPA? That is the Question: Tips for Limiting Your Family’s Exposure

Wow!  My head starts spinning when I sit down and actually tick thru all of the items I have to think about on a daily basis.    It seems that a parent's day never really ends.  All the days and nights just run together into one endless list of chores.  As the mommy in our household my daily tasks include a litany of items.  Here's a peek:

· Checking that our pantry is well stocked for every being in our house which includes me, Dear Husband, Darling 1, Darling 2, 2 Giant Dogs, 3 Small, but always quite hungry at the busiest moment of my day, Cats

· Counting to see if Darling 1 has enough clean underwear for the day (still in the “Oops, I forgot to stop playing and run to the bathroom with enough time to actually pull my pants down” stage)

· Paying bills

· Returning phone calls with two howling boys in the background

· Checking dog and cat water bowls

· Refilling juice/water/milk cups about a million times a day

· Returning emails

· Monitoring work deadlines and my progress towards those ever-approaching deadlines

· Finding time to actually do the work

· Removing booby traps set across the living room floor, otherwise known as blocks, small vehicles, deceivingly gentle looking plastic giraffe with razor sharp ears (trust me on this one – the bottom of my foot bears testimony to what I say), small bouncy balls and  a million other objects that get scattered across the floor and become a death trap to a mommy carrying a very full laundry basket or a screaming, thrashing, fit-throwing toddler

· Starting laundry in the washer, trying to remember to go down and put said load into dryer when washer stops, starting another load, emptying dryer load into awaiting basket that is already filled with two clean loads waiting to be folded at some point in the future and then starting that process over (about a 100 more times that day) before I go back upstairs to remove yet another intricately designed living room booby trap. 

OK, well I’m not finished by a long shot, but you get the idea.  I am not alone in this boat. Everyone is always busy with endless lists.  Believe me, I know it is difficult to stay caught up on the day-to-day roller coaster that is life much less read all the latest FDA reports and environmental group’s findings regarding BPA, etc. But don’t worry, in my research I found a handy, quick to read list of tips for limiting exposure to BPA that will help the whole family to lessen its intake.

Reducing Your Exposure to BPA

· Avoid reusable polycarbonate plastic water and baby bottles. As a general rule, avoid water bottles and baby bottles labeled #7 PC, which tend to be hard and clear. Many reusable water bottles are made of polycarbonate plastic that leaches bisphenol A into the water. Choose glass, stainless steel or BPA-free polypropylene (PP #5) bottles.  Discard old or damaged bottles. (It is now really easy to find BPA-free reusable water bottles.)

· Avoid polycarbonate plastic food containers and table ware. These may be labeled ‘PC’ underneath a plastic code #7 in the recycling triangle on the bottom of the container. (The #7 means ‘other’, so you need to see the ‘PC’ to confirm that the plastic is polycarbonate).

· Minimize the use of canned foods and canned drinks. Until industry reformulates the lacquer lining of metal cans (as is being done in Japan), choose fresh or frozen foods or glass containers or bottles. A recent study by Environmental Working Group found bisphenol A in more than half of 97 cans of brand name fruit, vegetables, soda, and other common canned goods.

· Ask your dentist for BPA-free sealants and composite fillings. Some dental resins are free from or low in BPA. Ask your dentist if they know about BPA and request the MSDS sheet (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the sealants or composite fillings to look for BADGE (a BPA derivative used to make epoxy resins) in the list of ingredients. Make sure your family brushes and flosses regularly to prevent the need for dental work. J

http://www.oeconline.org/our-work/kidshealth/pollutioninpeople/solutions/bpa

Today’s website is  www.EWG.org.  Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization whose mission it is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.  This website has many informative articles and lists on the subject of BPA, as well as any other environmental issues you can imagine.  I found this website both enlightening and easy to use, and I plan to keep going back there for information on other topics.  I hope you find it useful in helping your family be healthy and environmentally friendly.

  

Do you think you will try to follow some or all of these tips to reduce your family’s exposure to BPA?  Are you already doing these things?  Let me know your thoughts on this subject.  I would love some feedback on this first legal topic.  Come back on Friday when I will have a tidbit of Motherly Advice. Over and Out.

Anna

Comments

[Sara]

Good info! I got rid of all of the BPA bottles, sippies, and water bottles, but didn't know about cans or dental fillings. Good work Anna. : )

[Motherly Law]

Sara, I did the same thing and was really surprised to find out BPA was also in the epoxy linings of cans, etc. I really think we will begin to see big changes in food and beverage packaging in the next few years as we have seen with the cups, baby bottles and formula cans now that consumers are more aware. I will continue to monitor this issue. I appreciate the comment and your support!