Thursday, September 12, 2013

Fetal exposure to BPA

Fetal exposure to BPA has now reached 100 percent; Plastics chemical contaminating everyone  

 http://nontoxicnest.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/sassy_bpa3-480x336.jpg

by Ethan A. Huff
New research published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology completely debunks the government lie that the plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is neither harmful nor persistent in humans at current exposure levels. Originating out of California, this latest assessment of fetal exposure to BPA has concluded that 100 percent of both young and unborn children now have BPA circulating in their bloodstreams, suggesting universal exposure to this ubiquitous toxin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims that BPA is fully metabolized by the liver upon exposure and thus rendered innocuous. But actual science reveals quite the contrary situation, as BPA typically ends up circulating in active form throughout the bloodstream. Additionally, the chemical manifests itself in multiple toxic forms, another shocking finding that was made possible using the latest in laboratory analysis techniques.

For the new research, umbilical cord blood samples were taken from 85 full-term, aborted babies in San Francisco and tested for BPA. The samples were found to contain both active BPA and various BPA metabolites. In three of the samples, BPA levels were detected at levels higher than have ever been detected in fetal blood tests. And for the first time ever, BPA sulfate, a metabolite of active BPA, was also found in cord blood samples, which came as a surprise to researchers.
"Our findings suggest universal fetal exposure to BPA in our study population, with some at relatively high levels, and we provide the evidence of detectable BPA sulfate in mid-gestation fetuses," wrote the scientists in their paper. "Our median BPA levels are similar to those measured in term umbilical cord serum from larger studies, [however] the concentrations of BPA in our study include the highest levels reported to date."

BPA likely responsible for epidemic of neurological, hormonal problems in children

The reason this is such a big deal is that BPA in its active form is a highly estrogenic substance. Previous studies have also found that the chemical can cause serious neurological damage and behavioral problems, particularly in young children and especially in young males. BPA's estrogenic nature can severely disrupt the endocrine system, potentially causing low testosterone and other hormonal imbalances.

As far as this latest study, it is the first of its kind to test mid-gestation blood samples for BPA. Previous studies have looked at blood samples taken from pregnant women, including from their amniotic fluid, placenta and cord blood, and found high percentages of BPA. But this study went a step further, proving that BPA is indeed present in human blood, and that this is not the result of testing errors or outside contamination.

"These results should go a long way toward dispelling the myth that all BPA in human blood is the result of accidental contamination during sampling," said Laura Vandenberg, a scientist at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, referring to ridiculous claims made by some that detectable levels of BPA in blood samples must be due to laboratory contamination.

Since we now know that BPA persists in multiple active forms inside the body, and that it can be absorbed directly through the skin, the long-term implications for the health of future generations, including proper childhood development, appear dire. Recognizing this, many experts are now calling for a full ban on BPA, which is still added to metal food can linings, thermal paper receipts, plastic containers and a number of other consumer products that millions of people come into contact with every single day.

"Overall, our findings point to the importance of fetal exposure to BPA during development and the need to accurately assess the full range of human exposure during pregnancy," add the original study authors.

You can read the full abstract of the study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov