Maybe you’ve seen those “BPA-Free” stickers on plastic water bottles before. Having them labeled that way makes it seem like a dangerous chemical, but you can find BPA in all sorts of things: DVDs, shatter-resistant eyeglasses, baby bottles… it’s even in resin that lines some cans of food, and in thermal paper receipts that you get at the store.
Anyway, how bad can BPA actually be?
[Part of video transcript follows]
BPA is short for bisphenol A, and it’s one of the most common ingredients in a type of hard, clear plastic called polycarbonate. You can react it with another chemical, like carbonyl chloride, to form long chains, and those chains form a really durable plastic. Those chains are pretty chemically inactive, but the trouble comes when unreacted BPA molecules stick around in the plastic.
When you heat it up, like by putting a plastic container in the microwave, those leftover molecules can become free. And that is what might be a problem.
BPA is what’s known as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. It’s a molecule that interferes with how natural hormones – like estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones – work in the body.
Read more:
💚 “Will we ever be able to get rid of paper receipts?” by Rupert Jones and Patrick Collinson | Guardian November 2018
💚 No More Bottled Water [Infographic]
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