OT: Researcher calling for ban of plastics chemical says major chemical company

[Guest guest]

http://www.newstarget.com/021241.html

 

Researcher calling for ban of plastics chemical says major chemical company

tried to silence his report

Tuesday, December 05, 2006 by: Ben Kage

 

NewsTarget) University of Missouri, Colombia biological sciences professor

Fred vom Saal is determined to show that plastics corporations are just as

dangerous as tobacco companies, and reports that one major chemical company

tried to persuade him to hold off on publishing his research to that effect.

 

The primary focus of vom Saal's research is bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical

that is found in polycarbonate plastics, which are used in steel food can

linings, Lexan items, Nalgene bottles, baby bottles, spill-proof toddler's

cups,

plastic wrap, microwave-safe plastic dishware, and food containers. He says

the chemical mimics powerful sex hormones and even small doses can cause brain

damage, abnormal organ development, and hyperactivity. Vom Saal noted that

many -- but not all -- products that have a 7 inside the recycling triangle

symbol contain BPA, which he said is one of the biggest chemicals in production

worldwide, with more than 6 billion pounds created and used annually.

 

Alongside fellow University of Missouri professors Susan C. Nagel and Wade

Welshons, vom Sall began researching BPA in the mid-1990s after trying to

determine the fetal effects of high levels of estrogen in a mother during

pregnancy. It was already known that high levels of estrogen can cause cancer,

abnormal brain development, and reproductive problems in humans and animals, so

that caused vom Saal to consider how the chemical would effect a developing

fetus. They found a barrier in the body fights off the negative effects of sex

hormones, and vom Saal said he then wondered how that barrier would react to

birth control and chemicals.

 

In the case of BPA, at least, the answer was: not well. The BPA was able to

bypass the barriers in laboratory tests. Vom Saal added that BPA causes

uncontrolled cell growth, harms health and may promote obesity.

 

" Our research showed harmful effects at a dose 2,500 times lower than the

chemical industry said could cause harm, " vom Saal said.

 

However, as he is an endocrinologist -- studying the endocrine glands and

hormones -- his research on harmful chemicals is not as respected as that of a

toxicologist. Vom Saal's tests have not shown the chemical to be immediately

fatal, so he said toxicologists do not consider it to be dangerous enough to

follow up on his research.

 

Nevertheless, one day Welshons and vom Saal were visited by a Dow Chemical

Company representative who indicated the company wanted the findings withheld.

 

" This is a direct quote. He said, 'Can we arrive at a mutually beneficial

outcome where you hold off publishing this study?' " vom Saal said. He and

Welshons refused the request, and published the study in the January 1997 issue

of

the National Institutes of Health journal, Environmental Health

Perspectives. Then, the two sent a letter to the FDA, the University of

Missouri

chancellor, and various media outlets, reporting the visit from Dow.

 

" When that paper was published, the chemical industry started attacking us, "

vom Saal said. " Nobody had ever looked at this, and of course the chemical

industry said, 'That's not true.' "

 

According to Dow public relations representative Mark Walton, a scientist

from the company visited vom Saal with a request to withhold the study until

the MU scientist had investigated several other research questions, but he said

that any ideas of a buyoff were a misunderstanding.

 

After vom Saal's team published their first article on BPA, he received a

warning from an EPA representative that said the chemical industry was planning

a massive ad campaign promoting the safety of plastics -- the very ones vom

Saal had found to be harmful -- for infants and children.

 

" There are risks to everyone, but in babies they're permanent, " said vom

Saal. " Exposure of human or animal babies to bisphenol A is going to have a

permanent, harmful effect. Once that effect occurs, you're not going to be

normal, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. "

 

###

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Looks like I'm going glass from now on.

WW.

 

Angls4Hope wrote:

http://www.newstarget.com/021241.html

 

Researcher calling for ban of plastics chemical says major chemical company

tried to silence his report

Tuesday, December 05, 2006 by: Ben Kage

 

NewsTarget) University of Missouri, Colombia biological sciences professor

Fred vom Saal is determined to show that plastics corporations are just as

dangerous as tobacco companies, and reports that one major chemical company

tried to persuade him to hold off on publishing his research to that effect.

 

The primary focus of vom Saal's research is bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical

that is found in polycarbonate plastics, which are used in steel food can

linings, Lexan items, Nalgene bottles, baby bottles, spill-proof toddler's cups,

plastic wrap, microwave-safe plastic dishware, and food containers. He says

the chemical mimics powerful sex hormones and even small doses can cause brain

damage, abnormal organ development, and hyperactivity. Vom Saal noted that

many -- but not all -- products that have a 7 inside the recycling triangle

symbol contain BPA, which he said is one of the biggest chemicals in production

worldwide, with more than 6 billion pounds created and used annually.

 

Alongside fellow University of Missouri professors Susan C. Nagel and Wade

Welshons, vom Sall began researching BPA in the mid-1990s after trying to

determine the fetal effects of high levels of estrogen in a mother during

pregnancy. It was already known that high levels of estrogen can cause cancer,

abnormal brain development, and reproductive problems in humans and animals, so

that caused vom Saal to consider how the chemical would effect a developing

fetus. They found a barrier in the body fights off the negative effects of sex

hormones, and vom Saal said he then wondered how that barrier would react to

birth control and chemicals.

 

In the case of BPA, at least, the answer was: not well. The BPA was able to

bypass the barriers in laboratory tests. Vom Saal added that BPA causes

uncontrolled cell growth, harms health and may promote obesity.

 

" Our research showed harmful effects at a dose 2,500 times lower than the

chemical industry said could cause harm, " vom Saal said.

 

However, as he is an endocrinologist -- studying the endocrine glands and

hormones -- his research on harmful chemicals is not as respected as that of a

toxicologist. Vom Saal's tests have not shown the chemical to be immediately

fatal, so he said toxicologists do not consider it to be dangerous enough to

follow up on his research.

 

Nevertheless, one day Welshons and vom Saal were visited by a Dow Chemical

Company representative who indicated the company wanted the findings withheld.

 

" This is a direct quote. He said, 'Can we arrive at a mutually beneficial

outcome where you hold off publishing this study?' " vom Saal said. He and

Welshons refused the request, and published the study in the January 1997 issue

of

the National Institutes of Health journal, Environmental Health

Perspectives. Then, the two sent a letter to the FDA, the University of Missouri

chancellor, and various media outlets, reporting the visit from Dow.

 

" When that paper was published, the chemical industry started attacking us, "

vom Saal said. " Nobody had ever looked at this, and of course the chemical

industry said, 'That's not true.' "

 

According to Dow public relations representative Mark Walton, a scientist

from the company visited vom Saal with a request to withhold the study until

the MU scientist had investigated several other research questions, but he said

that any ideas of a buyoff were a misunderstanding.

 

After vom Saal's team published their first article on BPA, he received a

warning from an EPA representative that said the chemical industry was planning

a massive ad campaign promoting the safety of plastics -- the very ones vom

Saal had found to be harmful -- for infants and children.

 

" There are risks to everyone, but in babies they're permanent, " said vom

Saal. " Exposure of human or animal babies to bisphenol A is going to have a

permanent, harmful effect. Once that effect occurs, you're not going to be

normal, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. "

 

###

 

 

[Guest guest]

Well you should, the chances of you being poisoned if 100 %

 

Dee Harris <corbywolf13 wrote: Looks like I'm going glass

from now on.

WW.

 

Angls4Hope wrote:

http://www.newstarget.com/021241.html

 

Researcher calling for ban of plastics chemical says major chemical company

tried to silence his report

Tuesday, December 05, 2006 by: Ben Kage

 

NewsTarget) University of Missouri, Colombia biological sciences professor

Fred vom Saal is determined to show that plastics corporations are just as

dangerous as tobacco companies, and reports that one major chemical company

tried to persuade him to hold off on publishing his research to that effect.

 

The primary focus of vom Saal's research is bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical

that is found in polycarbonate plastics, which are used in steel food can

linings, Lexan items, Nalgene bottles, baby bottles, spill-proof toddler's cups,

plastic wrap, microwave-safe plastic dishware, and food containers. He says

the chemical mimics powerful sex hormones and even small doses can cause brain

damage, abnormal organ development, and hyperactivity. Vom Saal noted that

many -- but not all -- products that have a 7 inside the recycling triangle

symbol contain BPA, which he said is one of the biggest chemicals in production

worldwide, with more than 6 billion pounds created and used annually.

 

Alongside fellow University of Missouri professors Susan C. Nagel and Wade

Welshons, vom Sall began researching BPA in the mid-1990s after trying to

determine the fetal effects of high levels of estrogen in a mother during

pregnancy. It was already known that high levels of estrogen can cause cancer,

abnormal brain development, and reproductive problems in humans and animals, so

that caused vom Saal to consider how the chemical would effect a developing

fetus. They found a barrier in the body fights off the negative effects of sex

hormones, and vom Saal said he then wondered how that barrier would react to

birth control and chemicals.

 

In the case of BPA, at least, the answer was: not well. The BPA was able to

bypass the barriers in laboratory tests. Vom Saal added that BPA causes

uncontrolled cell growth, harms health and may promote obesity.

 

" Our research showed harmful effects at a dose 2,500 times lower than the

chemical industry said could cause harm, " vom Saal said.

 

However, as he is an endocrinologist -- studying the endocrine glands and

hormones -- his research on harmful chemicals is not as respected as that of a

toxicologist. Vom Saal's tests have not shown the chemical to be immediately

fatal, so he said toxicologists do not consider it to be dangerous enough to

follow up on his research.

 

Nevertheless, one day Welshons and vom Saal were visited by a Dow Chemical

Company representative who indicated the company wanted the findings withheld.

 

" This is a direct quote. He said, 'Can we arrive at a mutually beneficial

outcome where you hold off publishing this study?' " vom Saal said. He and

Welshons refused the request, and published the study in the January 1997 issue

of

the National Institutes of Health journal, Environmental Health

Perspectives. Then, the two sent a letter to the FDA, the University of Missouri

chancellor, and various media outlets, reporting the visit from Dow.

 

" When that paper was published, the chemical industry started attacking us, "

vom Saal said. " Nobody had ever looked at this, and of course the chemical

industry said, 'That's not true.' "

 

According to Dow public relations representative Mark Walton, a scientist

from the company visited vom Saal with a request to withhold the study until

the MU scientist had investigated several other research questions, but he said

that any ideas of a buyoff were a misunderstanding.

 

After vom Saal's team published their first article on BPA, he received a

warning from an EPA representative that said the chemical industry was planning

a massive ad campaign promoting the safety of plastics -- the very ones vom

Saal had found to be harmful -- for infants and children.

 

" There are risks to everyone, but in babies they're permanent, " said vom

Saal. " Exposure of human or animal babies to bisphenol A is going to have a

permanent, harmful effect. Once that effect occurs, you're not going to be

normal, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. "

 

###