study

A study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board of Ahmadabad, India during the year 2010-11 has given the Minister of State for Environment and Forests disturbing data upon which to base further political action. The study, which took survey of plastic trash data across 60 cities, concluded that the total figure representing India's plastic waste in just one day amounts to 15,342. 46 tons. Out of this overwhelming sum, 9,205 tons are gathered and recycled, and 6,137 tons remain uncollected.

According to an article in the Guardian this week, France's health agency has released yet another report on the health effects of bisphenol A, stating that a baby's exposure to BPA in the womb could be linked to a host of health problems, not least of all Breast Cancer, later in the course of its life. The study also warns readers about the dangers of packaging and bottles labeled "BPA Free" which often contain equally toxic substitutes.

Recently, a study by scientist Justin Teeguarden has been circulating the news due to its claim that bisphenol A is not a significant threat to the human body. Tom Philpott of Mother Jones writes that Teeguarden gave a presentation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science last month that assured those present that the amount of bisphenol A needed to successfully mimic estrogen in the human body was much higher than the  dosages consumers get from products containing BPA. In other words, Teeguarden asserted, BPA is not a concern to the consumer.

New research suggests that there is a connection between bisphenol A and asthma in small children according to a new study from the Mailman School of Public Health. Mark Hoffman of Science World Report reports that the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health evaluated a group of over 500 women and babies enrolled in a program that studies environmental exposures. Writes Hoffman:

A radio story by Australia's ABC News reported that a study has been undertaken by Duke Medical Centre which has discovered a link between bisphenol A and the suppression of a gene which is vital to the development of the central nervous system. According to the sound clip segment of the AM Show with Tony Eastly, reporter Sarah Dingle comments:

Now a new study by Duke University Medical Centre has found BPA may suppress a gene vital to the development of a central nervous system.

An article published via Waste & Recycling News yesterday shared the story of a group of scientists who feel they have a solution to the ever-present problem of keeping plastics out of  the ocean: classifying it as toxic waste. According to the article, this group of scientists is calling upon the 1989 Montreal Protocol, which classified chlorofluorocarbons as toxic waste and achieved a successful result in limiting their presence in the environment. 

Children's products are often the first items in which bisphenol A is banned, as they prove to be controversial to politicians who do not want to appear callous to the needs of children. In an article on Forbes written by Amy Westervelt, two new studies have emerged presenting evidence that it is important to monitor children's products and the chemicals they contain.

The chemical compounds known as phthalates were found to be present in ants during a study conducted by entomologist Dr. Alain Lenoir, according to a new article posted on Inhabitat.com. Contributor Morgana Matus writes that even these tiny organisms were found to be susceptible to the chemical compound, which is released into the atmosphere as plastics degrade. Matus reports:

Despite the growing number of conflicting studies and concerns, the United States Food and Drug Administration insists to this day that the chemical bisphenol A is safe for human consumption. BPA is a chemical the average consumer ingests on a fairly regular basis, often unconsciously. According to an article in the Epoch Times, "toxicity" is a concept that many industry and science officials don't seem to agree on -- a term with a particularly flexible definition. Conan Milner writes: 

In a startling report posted by TreeHugger today, the findings of a study conducted by a group of reporters in Sweden showed a very drastic change in the body's BPA levels brought about by the consumption of canned food. The reporters undertaking the study consumed food exclusively from cans for two days, taking urine samples both before and after. The results revealed an increase in BPA by about 2000%, a figure that stunned the reporters involved in the study. According to the article by A.K.