Author: Dr. Mercola Date: 12/22/2011 Chapter 8: Environmental Health and Toxicology Content of the Article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/22/bpa-exposure-health-problem.aspx Summary The problem in the article is the presence of BPA (Bisphenol-A) in the lining of mostly all of canned food products, cash register receipts, plastic and metal bottles, and even BPA-Free plastic itself. This is a problem because BPA is an endocrine disruptor and can imitate our body's hormones in a way that can be hazardous for our health (it interferes with the production, secretion, transport, action, function and elimination of natural hormones). The humans are the players because we are manufacturing products containing this chemical invented in 1891 and no strict safety regulations regarding the daily exposure of BPA (due to everyday contact with products containing BPA) in humans have been made. The humans are the ones being affected because although BPA does not add up in the human body, the recurring exposure still adds up. BPA is considered a pseudo-persistent chemical because our daily contact with BPA maintains a high enough level of the chemical that we would have if BPA accumulated within our bodies. As a result, humans may suffer from obesity and insulin resistance (both of which have been linked to BPA in humans). Some solutions to this problem would be to avoid BPA by stopping the use and purchase of products containing BPA and products labeled as BPA-Free, which can sometimes have more BPA than if labeled as having BPA. We should buy glass containers or fresh vegetables instead of canned foods. People should not microwave or wash in hot temperatures any products that may contain BPA and people should consider eating fermented foods or taking probiotic formulas which will help the friendly bacteria in our guts to break down BPA and reduce the amount absorbed by our intestines. The government should take part in ensuring the safety of the people by passing consumer laws that ban the use of BPA in products or reduce the amount of BPA used in products, as well as label the products with the amount of BPA they were produced. I feel that this article raised my awareness on the harmful effects of BPA and which products to steer clear from in order to live a healthy, toxic-free life. This article relates to AP Environmental Science because in chapter 8, the amount of BPA exposure in our everyday human life was discussed as well as the dangers that come from it (BPA exposure). In the article, the types of diseases caused by BPA exposure were revealed just like in chapter 8. Both the article and the book offered possible solutions to help reduce the amount of BPA an average human is exposed to and both agreed that even low levels of toxic may be dangerous to our health's if the exposure is prolonged. I have learned that even the things that we may find safe are not at all what they seem to be as seen in the example of ''BPA-Free'' labeled products-they guarantee our safety but in reality they may be more dangerous than products that don't guarantee our safety. The world is full of dangers and it is up to us to educate ourselves and decide whether or not we will believe the lies and promised securities of others.
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