| Thank you |
Wakefield, 22 April 2012 - Thank you Mother Earth for the beauty and peace you create. We salute you today, as we do every day. |
| Read about our Airtight Sanctus Mundo Containers in the Toronto Star |
Barbara Turnbull, Living Reporter for the Toronto Star, gives her take on our Sanctus Mundo stainless steel airtight containers after receiving a set as a gift. She liked them so much she even ordered some more. You can read her article in the Living Section of the Toronto Star. |
| To BPA or not to BPA... |
 |
 |
 |
|
...in short: NOT. Within the past few years, Bisphenol A (BPA) has become one of the most well known household chemicals in the world. And with good reason. What is Bisphenol A? BPA is a synthetic chemical and the primary constituent of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. If you're into the technical chemistry, it is created by condensing acetone and phenol, and is known as 4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2-diphenylpropane; it's chemical structure looks like this:  Well over two million tons of BPA are produced globally annually, and some expect demand to rise to over six million tons by 2015. Where is it found? BPA is literally everywhere, including the air. It is commonly found in baby bottles, food and beverage can liners, pacifiers and baby toys, water bottles and large water cooler bottles, cash register receipts, flatware, safety equipment, eyeglasses, dental fillings, computer and cell phone casings, compact discs, DVDs, and epoxy paint and coatings. Why is it a concern? BPA is a concern because it readily breaks down and leaches from products made out of it. Plastics and resins made of BPA weaken, and thus leach more BPA, when they are old and wearing out, heated or frozen, washed with detergents, and exposed to oily or acidic foods and liquids. Thus, BPA leaching is especially a concern with canned foods, which often are oil-based and/or acidic. BPA is often described as a hormone or endocrine disuptor, because it
mimics hormones, in particular the human estrogen hormones, which are involved in normal cellular function, reproduction, development and behaviour. Peer-reviewed scientific studies have linked BPA to numerous health problems including chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. Research into the impacts of BPA on human health is extensive and ongoing. Since BPA has begun to be recognized as a problem chemical in consumer products and been banned in children's products in some countries, a profusion of "BPA-free" baby bottles have entered the market and are made of other plastics, for example polyether sulfone. The fact that a plastic product is made of a non-BPA plastic, does not necessarily mean it is safe. There tend to be few, if any, available research studies on such replacement plastics. And researchers have shown, that some 'BPA-free' products actually exhibit more estrogenic activity than plastics containing BPA. The Unique Dose-Response Characteristics of Bisphenol A "The higher the dose, the greater the effect" is a traditional assumption that emerged hundreds of years ago in the field of toxicology, the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. Public health standards have been, and largely continue to be, developed based on the idea that high dose research will adequately predict potential low dose effects of a toxin on health. BPA does not follow this assumption. Solid scientific research using animal studies is increasingly showing that even very low doses of BPA can have a significant effect on health and can even irreversibly alter fetal development. Low doses of BPA are typically found in the environment or through exposure from BPA-containing materials in everyday life, such as plastics and can resins. One of the leader's in this field is Dr. Frederick Vom Saal, a biology professor at the University of Missouri and specialist in endocrine disruptors such as BPA. ACADEMIC Frederick Vom Saal's Endocrine Disruptors Group at the University of Missouri GOVERNMENT Government of Canada Bisphenol A Information Health Canada Bisphenol A Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Bisphenol A Action Plan NGO Breast Cancer Fund Chemicals Glossary - Bisphenol A Environmental Working Group Bisphenol A Chemical Index Environmental Working Group Human Toxome Project: Bisphenol A Silent Spring Institute - Everyday Chemicals Exposure Research The Endocrine Disruption Exchange Bisphenol A Information KEY STUDIES
IMPORTANT NOTES: While we strive to provide as accurate and balanced information as possible on our website, Life Without Plastic cannot guarantee its complete accuracy because there is always more research to do, and more up-to-date research studies emerging -- and this is especially the case regarding research on the health and environmental effects of plastics. None of the information presented in this website is intended to be professional advice or to constitute a professional service to the individual reader. All matters regarding health require medical supervision, and the information presented on this website is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. Throughout
these articles, some technical terminology is used. In the interest of
not making the articles too long and dry and complex, technical terms
are hyper-linked to more detailed explanations and relevant reference
material provided in Wikipedia. Please keep in mind that Wikipedia
articles are written collaboratively by volunteers from all over the
world and thus may contain inaccuracies. Life Without Plastic makes no
guarantee of the validity of the information presented in Wikipedia
articles to which we provide links. We suggest you read the Wikipedia General Disclaimer before relying on any information presented in a Wikipedia article. That said, Wikipedia is a wonderful empowering place to begin doing your own research.
|
