Page 77 - Plastics News September 2018

TECHNOLOGY

BPA replacements in plastics cause reproductive problems in lab mice

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replacements in plastics cause reproductive problems. seen so many years earlier in studies of BPA. Hunt notes
Twenty years ago, researchers made the accidental that the initial inadvertent exposure of their animals was
discovery that the now infamous plastics ingredient remarkably similar to what might happen in people using
known as bisphenol A or BPA had inadvertently leached plastics in that the exposure was accidental and highly
out of plastic cages used to house female mice in the lab, variable. Not all of the animals' cages were damaged, and
causing a sudden increase in chromosomally abnormal eggs VR WKH ÀQGLQJV GLIIHUHG DPRQJ DQLPDOV LQ GLIIHUHQW FDJHV
in the animals. Now, the same team is back to report in She adds that -- although determining the levels of human
the journal Current Biology that the array of alternative H[SRVXUH LV GLIÀFXOW WKHLU FRQWUROOHG H[SHULPHQWV ZHUH
bisphenols now used to replace BPA in BPA-free bottles, conducted using low doses of BPS and other replacement
cups, cages, and other items appear to come with similar bisphenols thought to be relevant to exposure in people
problems for their mice. "This paper reports a strange using BPA-free plastics.
These problems, if they hold true in people
as has been shown in the case of BPA, will
carry over to future generations through their
effects on the germline. The researchers
showed that, if it were possible to eliminate
bisphenol contaminants completely, the
effects would still persist for about three
generations.Hunt says more work is needed
to determine whether some replacement
bisphenols might be safer than others, noting
that there are dozens of such chemicals now
in use. She also suspects that other widely
used and endocrine-disrupting chemicals,
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retardants, may be having similarly adverse
GpMj YX H[SHULHQFH LQ RXU ODERUDWRU\ VD\V 3DWULFLD +XQW affects on fertility that warrant much more study."The
RI :DVKLQJWRQ 6WDWH 8QLYHUVLW\ 7KH QHZ ÀQGLQJV ZHUH ability to rapidly enhance the properties of a chemical
uncovered much as before as the researchers again noticed has tremendous potential for treating cancer, enhancing
a change in the data coming out of studies on control medical and structural materials, and controlling dangerous
animals. Again, the researchers traced the problem to infectious agents," the researchers write. "Importantly,
contamination from damaged cages, but the effects this this technology has paved the way for 'green chemistry,'
time, Hunt says, were more subtle than before. That's a healthier future achieved by engineering chemicals
because not all of the cages were damaged and the source to ensure against hazardous effects.Currently, however,
of contamination remained less certain.
regulatory agencies charged with assessing chemical safety
However, she and her colleagues were able to determine cannot keep pace with the introduction of new chemicals.
that the mice were being exposed to replacement Further, as replacement bisphenols illustrate, it is easier
bisphenols. They also saw that the disturbance in the lab and more cost effective under current chemical regulations
was causing problems in the production of both eggs and to replace a chemical of concern with structural analogs
sperm.Once they got the contamination under control, rather than determine the attributes that make it
the researchers conducted additional controlled studies hazardous." Hunt's advice to consumers now is simple:
to test the effects of several replacement bisphenols, BPA-free or not, "plastic products that show physical signs
including a common replacement known as BPS. Those of damage or aging cannot be considered safe."

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