Bisphenols: researchers want to ban them from containers

After the risks of hypertension, miscarriage, and so on, a new French study suggests this time that exposure to bisphenol A is associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in overweight adults. In this context where the list of harm to health of this substance continues to grow, the scientific community has decided to react.

At a conference on endocrine disruptors organized in Paris on January 21 and 22 by the French Food and Health Safety Agency (ANSES), scientists called on the authorities to ban all bisphenols from food containers, believing that substitutes for bisphenol A probably have equally harmful effects on health.

BPA banned in France

Since 2011, the use of bisphenol A (BPA) has in fact been prohibited for the manufacture of plastic baby bottles in the European Union. In January 2015, France went even further by also banning this substance from all cans and bottles for food use.

But to replace BPA, manufacturers often use two products: bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF).

“Bisphenol A is a magical product. It is easy to work with, transparent, resistant to shocks, alteration, ultraviolet rays (…) and above all not expensive. It is also multi-use, so not so easy to replace, ”explained to Agence France Presse (AFP) René Habert, Professor at the University of Paris Diderot and reproductive toxicologist.

Endocrine disruptors, worrying substitutes

“The bisphenol family includes around twenty products and scientific knowledge on their possible role as an endocrine disruptor is limited: less than 90 scientific publications against some 9,600 for BPA,” he said. “Since they have a similar molecular structure, there is no reason to allow some and not others”, thinks René Habert.

“What I basically expect is that all bisphenols are classified as potential endocrine disruptors,” he suggested, especially since the first studies on BPS show that this substance is far from harmless. .

Recently, works published in the journal PNAS have it is true shown that the substitute for Bisphenol A (BPA), Bisphenol S (BPS), could be just as dangerous as its cousin, with in particular deleterious effects on the development of embryos. Finally, a new study appeared in the journal Environmental Research is concerned about the health effects of certain substitutes for endocrine disruptors. Research on adipose tissue from rats has shown metabolic action of DINCH, which replaces the phthalate DEHP.

Endocrine disruptors: Should we already ban “bisphenol” substitutes for BPA? https://t.co/R3KDgqCsE5 #health pic.twitter.com/zkhvMrjlRi

– Pourquoidocteur (@Pourquoidocteur) 23 January 2016