New Study Claims BPA-Free Plastics May Leach Chemicals Similar to BPA

The journal Environmental Health Perspectives, published by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, released a study finding that BPA-free plastics can release chemicals with similar endocrine-disrupting properties as BPA.

The study, entitled "Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem That Can Be Solved," found that BPA-free products often contain other chemicals that have estrogenic activity (EA), and that these chemicals mimic estrogen in the same way as BPA. The study found that, of the 455 plastic products tested, many of which were labeled "BPA-free," 70 percent tested positive for estrogenic activity. That number climbed to 95 percent when the products were exposed to regular use, such as microwaving and dishwashing.