Just When You Thought You Were Doing the Right Thing About Plastics (Premium)

A reader shared that CertiChem and its founder, George Bittner, a professor of neurobiology at the University of Texas-Austin, had recently coauthored a paper in the NIH journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It reported that “almost all” commercially available plastics that were tested leached synthetic estrogens-­even when they weren’t exposed to conditions known to unlock potentially harmful chemicals, such as the heat of a microwave, the steam of a dishwasher, or the sun’s ultraviolet rays. According to Bittner’s research, some BPA-free products actually released synthetic estrogens that were more potent than BPA. 

Most of us have learned to look for BPA-free products and may feel pretty good about our efforts. After all, we’re missing the bad stuff–and the other plastics we use are safe. Not so fast! A new and well researched article in Mother Jones will have you questioning the safety of your family, from the youngest to the oldest.