There's Another Toxin in Plastic You Need to Know About

In recent years, public health officials have done a good job educating consumers about the dangerous of bisphenol A or BPA. Many manufacturers of plastic products have stopped using BPA in their products due to concerns that the substance can cause a number of health problems, including asthma, heart disease, infertility, cancer and development disorders in children. Now, a study has concluded that one of the plastic additives being used as a replacement for BPA may be just as dangerous.

The study in question was published in the journal Endocrinology and examines the effects of a substance called Bisphenol S or BPS. BPS is one of the most commonly used alternatives for BPA. During the study, the scientists exposed the embryos of zebrafish to BPS and BPA and observed what happened to them. The brain cells of the creatures exposed to both chemicals underwent similar transformations, and there were disruptions in the genome that would impact reproduction.

Based on the scientific evidence, the researchers concluded that BPS causes harmful affects to the endocrine system just like BPA. While more research is needed to validate their findings, it does point to the fact that not all BPA-free plastics are safe alternatives to the toxic plastic.

Public health experts have spoken out since the release of the journal article urging people to be choosy about the plastic that they use and to find out if BPS is used in place of BPA. The experts also recommend using other types of materials when possible, such as silicone baby bottles like the ones sold by ThinkBaby or bamboo dinnerware.

 You can find a number of types of alternative dinnerware for purchase in our tableware department here at Paperless Kitchen.

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