I have become increasingly skeptical of the safety of common chemicals. It is not that they are untested, but that they may be fundamentally untestable. Results showing changes in the grandchildren of exposed rats and hormone mimics having effects at doses almost too low to measure persuade me that the Precautionary Principle should be applied. At present, "we are running a gigantic experiment with humans and all other living things as the subject."
I talked to a Nalgene sales representative who swore there was no danger from Bisphenol A. Turns out there's quite a body of literature to the contrary, Canada's environmental agency is reviewing its grandfathered status and San Francisco has already banned it. Here's the letter I wrote after doing my research:
Mr. _____,
We spoke at the University of Arizona vendor fair on Tuesday the 24th of April briefly about BPA in Nalgene products. As I indicated, our lab is very concerned about any and all hormone mimics. We recently had an incident, unrelated to BPA, involving possibly paper products or wheat that may have been contaminated with some sort of juvenile growth hormone, leading to the virtual eradication of our colony animals (Manduca sexta) and a slow down over several months in our ability to conduct research.
As you can see, we are very concerned about possible extraneous factors affecting our research. Despite your assurances to the contrary, I do not find the peer-reviewed research on BPA to show it to be conclusively safe for use in our lab. (CF. Murray TJ (2007). "Induction of mammary gland ductal hyperplasias and carcinoma in situ following fetal bisphenol A exposure." and Frederick S. vom Saal (2006). "Large effects from small exposures. II. The importance of positive controls in low-dose research on bisphenol A.") Therefore, we will continue to seek out alternatives to Nalgene plastic containers in our purchasing.
If you are aware of any new research showing the safety of Nalgene products I would be happy to hear about it. In the meantime, this letter is simply to express my concerns and my conclusions based on the information you gave me and the information I have available to me.
Thank you.
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