Make informed daily choices! Become more in charge of your health!

            One of the most important and useful parts of an education is the ability it provides you with to formulate your own beliefs and opinions using a range of information. This includes the need to make informed decisions regarding the substances you encounter in your day to day life. If you can limit exposure to potentially harmful substances it is directly and substantially beneficial to your own health. An example of self-education that can potentially help you to avoid possible harmful effects associated with exposure is the recent substantial shift from inclusion of Bisphenol A (BPA) in consumer products. The public responded to research regarding possible negative side effects associated with BPA exposure and their desire to have it removed from consumer products, as BPA was previously very commonly found in products like water bottles and aluminum cans. Had the public ignored the research findings and concerns from the scientific community companies likely would not have been as motivated to remove BPA from their products, as it would only result in a larger cost of production. Initially the possible danger associated with BPA was discovered in a lab where mice were accidentally exposed to BPA which resulted in observable negative reproductive health effects. A studying following these findings gathered data that confirmed that nearly all of the tested individuals had BPA in their urine. While these findings confirm is that it is present in the body following exposure, it does not confirm any negative side effect and is promising in that it shows BPA is being removed from the body. However, more research and observation is required in order to prove that it is not having a directly negative effect on the body. It is up to all consumers to demand this type of research as well as increased accountability regarding chemicals found in consumer products.

References:

 Bisphenol A. PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Bisphenol_A#section=Top

(accessed March 2nd, 2017)

 Hinterthuer, A. Just How Harmful Are Bisphenol A Plastics? Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/just-how-harmful-are-bisphenol-a-plastics (accessed March 2nd, 2017)