California Senate Passes Ban on BPA

Posted on Jun 2, 2009 | Comments (0)

With a vote of 21-16, the California State Senate approved a ban on the use of a chemical in food and beverage containers that scientists say can harm childhood development.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical that was developed in the 1930s as a synthetic estrogen. It was soon supplanted by another estrogen, DES, but then someone discovered that it could be the building block of polycarbonate plastic. Companies started using it in baby bottles, water bottles, teething rings, food can linings, dental sealants, epoxy resins, CDs, eyeglass lenses, carbonless ink & many other things.

Unfortunately, it degrades over time and gets into the food or water inside the can or bottle, and then inside our bodies.

As scientists have known since it was used as an estrogen, BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which studies have firmly established causes problems with early brain development, early puberty, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Other research suggests that BPA may interfere with metabolism and lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. More info can be found at Our Stolen Future.

So, the California Senate today just passed a bill (SB 797) authored by Senator Fran Pavley to ban BPA in bottles, cups, and food containers designed for use by children under the age of three. The next steps are for it to go to the second house (called the Assembly in CA) and then to the Governor for his signature before it can actually become a law in this state.

Other states are considering (or have passed) a similar ban.

Stay tuned to this blog site for more updates on California's efforts to ban BPA.