Study: Toxic Plastic Ingredient Lingers In Body

 (Washington, DC)  --  A harmful ingredient in plastic lingers in the body longer than previously thought.

   Researchers say bisphenol A, or BPA, may be turning up in more food, household dust or even tap water.

   The chemical seems to be making its way into more bodies and insinuating itself more permanently.

   The study out of New York's University of Rochester involved a simple analysis of urine samples from nearly 1,500 adults who'd been fasting.

   The belief was that the body got rid of the toxic chemical quickly.

   Instead, the study found that people who fasted for 24 hours had the same amount of BPA in their urine than those who'd fasted for only eight-and-a-half hours.

   That means BPA is likely getting into the body's fatty tissue, where it's released more slowly.

   Consumer advocates, scientists and parent groups have been clamoring for the Food and Drug Administration to better regulate the chemical.

   The FDA said last December only that it planned more research.

   BPA is found in baby bottles and the lining of food containers, and is especially harmful to fetuses and young children.

   It affects the development of the brain, causes behavioral changes in the very young, and is linked to heart disease and diabetes even in adults.



   (Copyright 2009 by Newsroom Solutions)