Bisphenol A (BPA) has been banned in Canada; and France is planning to ban it in 2013/4 despite pressure from other EU members not to do so. In California it is banned in toys for the under-threes. Whats the fuss? This component of plastics and commonly found in plastic food packaging, can white linings, babies bottles, and many plastic toys is a known oestrogen mimic and endocrine disrupter.
Now, according to research from scientists at the New England Research Institutes (Watertown, Mass.) there is a link between dental fillings made using BPA and behavioural problems in children. The effects apparently start to show after just a few years. Although small they were detectable and measurable.
"It’s a controversial topic in dental research, how much really does leach (from fillings)... and whether or not that would have an effect," said the study leader, Nancy Maserejian. "It’s generally assumed that the amounts leached are tiny."
According to Maserejian, fillings made using BPA are starting to become more popular because they avoid mercury and are the same colour as normal teeth. (Reuters)