Common Chemical Found in Plastics Poses Threats to Public Health

Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration saw fit to ban the use of Bisphenol A (or BPA, for short) in the manufacturing of baby bottles and sippy cups.

However, in the aftermath of a new study published only yesterday in the scientific online journal PLoS ONE, they might soon be considering banning the use of this chemical compound in the manufacturing of other types of plastic items as well.

This is because, as scientists have already pointed out, ingested BPA might lead to the individuals developing various health conditions such as cancer, neurological disorders and psychological defects.

Moreover, there are some who claim that BPA needs also be linked to childhood obesity, which happens to be an ever more pressing issue in the US.

Apparently, BPA affects the human body in the aforementioned ways as a result of the fact that is has a molecular structure very much similar to that of one of the body's three main estrogens, named estradiol.

Because of this, it can bind with estrogen receptors and thus cause glitches in the organism's endocrine and hormone system.

Interestingly enough, this new study on this issue states that BPA can be even more harmful to individuals once it is metabolized by their organisms.

Sources inform us that this is because one of BPA's metabolites is significantly more efficient in binding estrogen receptors than your run-off-the-mill BPA is.

Michael E. Baker, PhD and UCSD professor of medicine, made a case of how, “MPB [this metabolite of BPA] is basically grabbing onto the estrogen receptor with two hands compared to just one hand for BPA. Two contact points makes a much stronger connection.”

Interestingly enough, it seems these findings might help researchers come up with better ways to treat a very specific type of tumor.

“One could use MBP, which has a novel structure, as a template to develop a new class of chemicals that could bind to the estrogen receptor with high affinity. (…) These chemicals could control unwanted growth of estrogen-dependent tumors,” further explained professor Michael E. Baker.