Plastic packaging alert

British researchers have found that people with a high level of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and diabetes — findings that back up BPA studies conducted elsewhere.

• BPA is a phthalate, one of a family of chemical compounds used as plasticizers, mainly to increase the flexibility of PVC and other plastic products.
• BPA was widely present in hard plastic packaging used for food and drink containers, including water bottles, plastic (polycarbonate) baby bottles and the linings of food cans.
• Many companies now also produce BPA-free versions of their products.

• Canada was the first country to ban the sale of baby bottles containing BPA in 2008, and listed it as a toxic substance in 2010.
• Some US states have passed or are exploring similar bans.
• In 2010, the US Environmental Protection Agency released a report calling BPA a chemical of concern, while the President's Cancer Panel called for caution pertaining to BPA.

Even with less BPA in food and drink containers, it is still nearly impossible to avoid some exposure to phthalates.

• Many foods are sold in plastic packaging (it may be wise to remove it soon after purchase).
• Phthalates may be present in cosmetics, shampoos, adhesives, detergents and paints.
• As the kind of paint used on the outside of ships usually includes phthalates, the chemicals are increasingly present in fish.
• BPA is also found in drinking water and on skin — and consequently in household dust (largely derived from shed skin cells).

Researchers find that more than 91per cent of Canadians and93 per cent of Americans have detectable levels of BPA.

• Evidence linking obesity with phthalates and other so-called "endocrine-disrupting" chemicals is growing — so much so, that many of these substances are now dubbed "obesogens," or obesity-promoting chemicals.
• Clearly, their association with obesity is one mechanism by which chemicals such as BPA could influence the development of cardiovascular disease, and some studies have demonstrated links between phthalate breakdown products in urine and BMI, waist circumference (a measure of abdominal obesity) and insulin resistance.