How to Avoid Unsafe Chemicals in Plastic

Reader Contribution by Oscar H. Will Iii
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What is BPA and why is it bad for me? How can I avoid BPA and other chemicals in plastic?

You’ve heard correctly! Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical that has been widely used in plastic manufacturing since the 1950s. The compound

is used to line metal cans of food, and to form many plastic containers and cash register receipts. As convenient as plastic packaging is, and as pervasive as it has become, you should still try to choose different packaging or otherwise limit your exposure to BPA because of the health risks.

As is so often the case with many modern chemicals, many plastics are deemed safe because they seem to have no ill effects after short-term exposure. Unfortunately, scientists have recently shown that plastics can off-gas or leach toxic compounds into the surrounding environment in relatively small but sometimes physiologically significant quantities. Bisphenols appear to be one (among many) of those compounds leached from plastic.

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