They say that it is dangerous, to the point of causing mutations to the future generations as well as health problems to the current members of the race. And, the experts say, ominously, the problem might be even bigger than originally warned about and worse, might be unavoidable, at least in the overall big picture. The danger is a particular chemical which leaches out of plastic products and the far reaching implications are just starting to be found by researchers and scientists from every discipline.

BPA is commonly found in some food storage containers and other items but is most frequently found in baby bottles. In fact, to this point, all plastic baby bottles made and sold in the United States contain some level of BPA. Some research has indicated that using glass bottles was preferable to plastic but new research might show that it is an absolute must in the fight to keep our children happy and healthy and to prevent problems with the future generation.

The first research that was done involving BPA happened by accident. A lab researcher discovered that all of the egg cells of her mice were deformed and mutated- and then the discovery was made. The mice were living in plastic cages, drinking from plastic water tubes and the cages had been cleaned with a floor cleaner. Researchers were quick to make the connection and further testing showed how serious the problem really can be: those conditions are not easy to recreate, after all, no one is going to clean baby’s bottle with a floor cleaner, however it was discovered that that kind of harsh treatment was not necessary. BPA starts to leach from the plastic that it is in as soon as it is used the first time, regardless of how it is used.

Exposure to BPA has previously been linked to low sperm count, hyperactivity, precocious puberty ( where puberty begins before the age of twelve) as well as childhood obesity. But, the current research is linking BPA exposure to even more problems including damage to the egg cells, spontaneous abortion, birth defects and mental retardation. Most frighteningly of all, the researchers are concluding that it takes only a very small dose of BPA to cause these problems. The egg cells, in particular are very delicate and susceptible to damage. One tiny variation in their surface can impact the way that they behave when they divide.

The current research has only been conducted using mice, however, the grim knowledge is that it is more than likely going to be linked to the same problems with humans as well. The plastics industry is denying that there is any link to any health or reproductive conditions related to their products. More research is slated to be done by a number of top labs around the country as well as internationally, but until conclusive, well documented research is returned, it is advisable to minimize exposure to BPA in plastics as much as possible.