BPA, PFCs & Phtalate cheatsheets

  Bisphenol A is a toxic plastics chemical found in polycarbonate plastic and the resinous lining of food cans. In April of 2008, the National Toxicology Program raised concerns that exposure to BPA during pregnancy and childhood could impact the developing breast and prostate, hasten puberty, and affect behavior in American children. To find out how to minimize your exposure or to learn more, go to http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/04/cheatsheet-bisphenol-a-bpa.htm 

  Phthalates are a common industrial chemical used in PVC plastics, solvents, and synthetic fragrances. They’ve been around since the 1930’s, and now they’re pretty ubiquitous; when they tested 289 people in 2000, the CDC found phthalates in all of the subjects’ blood at surprisingly high levels. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors linked to problems of the reproductive system, including decreased sperm motility and concentration in men and genital abnormalities in baby boys. More recently they’ve also been linked to asthma and allergies. To find out how to minimize your exposure or to learn more, go to http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/05/cheatsheet-phthalates.htm   Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are widely-used water, grease and stain repellents. They’re found in carpets and on clothes, on fast-food wrappers, and on the inner lining of pet food bags. You might know them as Teflon, Scotchguard, Stainmaster and Gore-Tex. They pollute water, are persistent in the environment, and remain in the human body for years. PFCs have been associated with cancer, reproductive problems, birth and developmental defects, and (recently) with immune system suppression. To find out how to minimize your exposure or to learn more, go to http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/04/cheatsheet-perfluorochemicals.htm Article extracted from Environmental Working Group, www.EWG.org