No surprise to us that a corrleation between breast cancer and plastics is being found since the human body and chemicals are not designed to intermingle. The body has to eliminate foreign bodies and cannot just cope or accept them.

If the body is overwhelmed it becomes ill and comes down with various diseases such as all the “modern” sicknesses we find today.

What was specifically found by researchers and reported in the August 28th issue of Chemistry & Biology, is that chemicals found in harder plastics that make up CD cases, water cooler jugs and other products promote breast cancer.

The chemical referred to is bisphenol-A (BPA) which is referred to as a ‘pseudo-estrogen’. Breast cells operate differently than normal cells and absorb what normal cells do not.

Previous studies have linked small exposures to prostate abnormalities in mice but have merely been suggestive of a link and not a correlation. Other studies have theorized about effects such as retardation and birth defects due to embryonic and fetal exposures to BPA.

BPA is a raw material used for a wide range of hard clear plastic items such as electronics parts, baby bottles and food containers, etc. It is not found in softer flexible plastics such as single serving beverage bottles. When consumed BPA undergoes a chemical modification which theoretically makes its absorbtion nominal. It is because of the addiiton of a sulfate molecule that keeps it from permeating a healthy cell’s outer membrane. The same has not been found for problematic cells however.

It was researchers at Indiana and Berkley that found that BPA appears to concentrate in tumor cells. Theodore Widlanski of Indiana University found that breast tumor cells carry an enzyme on their surface that strips away the sulfate molecules from BPA. Once inside the tumor cell, BPA might encourage the cells’ survivial and growth.

Widlanski cautioned about this being a preliminary finding based upon laboratory research. Obviously the plastics industry has come out hard on the issue defending BPA. The American Plastics Council issued the expected comments regarding research and efficacy of their product. They also have claimed that government have done their own studies on BPA and “in every case, have concluded that BPA is not likely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans.”

Research is difficult since it would expose individuals to potentially deadly chemicals thus the debate continues to be about the metodology of collecting scientifically proven results. Widlanski stands by the results making perhaps the most decisive statement:  “It is the cumulative effect of all these compounds together that one needs to worry about.”