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Most Canadians have BPA

Nine out of 10 Canadians are contaminated by bisphenol A, according to the first-ever national study on the subject, with teens carrying the heaviest loads of all.

Nine out of 10 Canadians are contaminated by bisphenol A, according to the first-ever national study on the subject, with teens carrying the heaviest loads of all.

Statistics Canada released Monday a new study on lead and bisphenol A levels in Canadians. It is the first study to test Canadians for bisphenol A and the second in 30 years to test for lead.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical found in hard, clear plastic bottles, the linings inside cans, dental seals and other products. It acts like estrogen and has been linked to reproductive and developmental problems in animals. Concerned that it could affect babies at low levels, the federal government declared it a toxin in 2008 and banned it from baby bottles.

Lead is a naturally occurring element linked to anemia, brain damage and death. It's been banned from gasoline for years, but is still used in batteries and jewelry.

The study tested the blood and urine of about 5,300 Canadians aged six to 79 for lead and BPA.

About 91 per cent of Canadians had BPA in them, the study found, but at really low levels — about 1.16 micrograms per litre of urine. Children aged 12 to 19 had the highest levels (1.50), while people over 60 had the lowest (0.90).

"These results suggest that there's continual widespread exposure to BPA in the Canadian population," says lead author Tracey Bushnik, as BPA passes through the body relatively fast. Kids might carry more BPA in them due to differences in metabolism, the foods they eat and the products they use.

This is nothing to worry about, says Warren Kindzierski, St. Albert resident and associate professor of environmental health at the University of Alberta. Canada's BPA levels are more than 500 times lower than the exposure limits set by the European Food Safety Authority, he notes, and way below levels found to cause harm to animals.

"There's no solid evidence that these types of exposures lead to health effects in the general populace," he says. "Just because you can measure it doesn't mean it's a problem."

Lead gone, BPA not

Although the study found lead in everyone it tested, Bushnik says, it also found that lead levels had dropped to about a third of what they were 30 years ago. The percentage of Canadians above the lead exposure limit also dropped to less than one per cent, compared to about 27 per cent 30 years ago. (The limit is 10 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood.) "There's been a significant reduction in the amount of lead exposure."

This is a great success story, says Louis Francescutti, professor of public health at the University of Alberta. "Lead is very toxic to the brains of young kids," he says, and we've greatly reduced our exposure to it by getting it out of paint and gasoline.

Canada hasn't set exposure limits for BPA, Bushnik says, but was looking at how widespread it was in drinks, baby formula, and dust. Statistics Canada planned to keep tracking BPA levels in future studies.

Health Canada advises people not to put hot water in BPA baby bottles, as this causes the chemical to leach out faster. Canned foods and plastic water bottles are safe to use.

Although there are BPA-free bottles available, Kindzierski says it would be very tough to limit one's exposure to BPA — plastic packaging is everywhere and BPA is in most of it.

But that packaging protects us against many microbiological contaminants that are far more dangerous that BPA, he adds. "Those kinds of risk are real. You just go count the bodies."

Smoking, obesity and inactivity are all far greater threats to human health than lead and BPA, Francescutti says. "If people were to focus on those, more lives would be saved than focusing on lead and BPA."

The study is available at www.statcan.gc.ca. The federal Chemical Substances Portal, www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca, offers many studies on lead and BPA.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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