EXPERTS FROM THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE
EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DECLARED THE CHEMICAL BISPHENOL A SAFE FOR CONSUMERS."BETTER
KNOWN AS BPA, THE CHEMICAL, SOMETIMES ADDED TO PLASTICS AND
HAS BEEN FOUND TO INTERFERE WITH HUMAN HORMONES.
LAURA VANDENBERG, AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF
MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH
SCIENCES, WAS AMONG THOSE SURPRISED PEOPLE.
SHE POINTS OUT THAT THE FDA EVEN DISMISSED ITS OWN DATA SHOWING
THAT LOW LEVELS OF BPA COULD THE INCREASE RISK OF BREAST AND
PROSTATE CANCER.
I SPOKE WITH HER IN THE STUDIO ABOUT THAT AND MORE.
>> I STARTED IN MY GRADUATED TRAINING ALMOST 15 YEARS AGO
BECAUSE OF MY INTEREST IN ENDOCRINELOGY SO HORMONES AND
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND GETTING INVOLVED IN
ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTER RESEARCH REALLY IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
HOW CHEMICALS THAT CAN AFFECT HOW HORMONES ACT IN OUR BODY CAN
INDUCE DISEASES IN OUR BODY.
SO I'M INTERESTED IN BREAST DEVELOPMENT, BREAST CANCER,
LACTATION, HOW MOM INTERACTS WITH HER BABIES, THINGS LIKE
INFERTILITY.
AND WE'VE BEEN FINDING IN THE LAB THAT ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS
CAN CAUSE THESE KINDS OF EFFECTS ESPECIALLY IN RODENTS.
>> AMONG THOSE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS THAT YOU'RE TAKING A
LOOK SO IS BPA BISPHENONOL.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
IT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION REALLY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS BECAUSE
IT'S A CHEMICAL THAT IN OUR BODIES CAN MIMIC ESTROGEN THE
FEMALE HORMONE.
>> WHAT PROBLEMS CAN THAT CAUSE THEN?
>> YEAH, ESTROGEN IS IMPORTANT IN DEVELOPMENT, SO TO MAKE YOUR
BRAIN NORMAL, TO ALLOW YOUR REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS TO DEVELOP
NOERMDZ AND IT PLAYS A ROLE IN A LOT OF DISEASES SO ESTROGEN IS
IMPLICATED IN BREAST CANCER IN WOMEN, ABNORMAL AS JENCOULD PLAY
A ROLE IN INFERTILITY SO WHAT THAT SUGGEST IS THAT BPA COULD
BE AFFECTING THINGS LIKE NORMAL DEVELOPMENT BUT ALSO PROMOTING
DISEASE.
>> BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GETTING EXPOSED TO BPA AND THEN MAYBE
BUMPING UP THE ESTROGEN EITHER THROUGH HAVING EXPOSURE TO IT IN
A PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE OR HEATING THEIR FOOD UP IN PLASTIC
OR EVEN THERMAL PAPER RECEIPTS THAT YOU GET AT THE GROCERY
STORE OR TENS OF OTHER PLACES?
>> YEAH, SO OUR EXPOSURES FROM BPA COME FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT
SOURCES AND BPA STARTS TO BE USED IN NEW CONSUMER PRODUCTS
AND WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL A SCIENTIST FIGURES IT OUT.
WE KNOW IT'S IN CANNED LININGS FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE A LOT OF
PLASTICS ESPECIALLY HARD RIGID PLASTICS THE KIND THAT AREN'T
MEANT TO BE USED ONCE AND THROWN AWAY.
THERMAL PAPER AS YOU NOTED, BPA IS SORT OF SPRAYED ALMOST LIKE
BABY POWDER ALMOST ON THE SURFACE OF THAT THERMAL PAPER SO
WHEN WE HANDLE IT, IT CAN -- >> SO IT ACTUALLY RUBS OFF ON
YOUR SKIN AND YOU CAN ABSORB IT THAT WAY?
>> IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN -- SOMETIMES IF YOU GO TO A
RESTAURANT AND THE SERVER SORT OF CIRCLES YOUR -- WHAT TO
DO -- WHAT'S NEW ON THEIR FINGER AND THEIR FINGER TURNS BLACK.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HEAT IS APPLIED TO IT SO IT COMES RIGHT
OFF ON THOSE THERMAL PAPER WHEN WE HANDLE THEM NORMALLY AND
THERE'S SOME RESEARCH THAT SUGGEST THAT IF YOU'RE USING
THINGS LIKE A HAND SANITIZERS IT CAN INCREASE YOUR ABSORPTION OF
BPA BECAUSE A LOT OF PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS CAN POLK TEENY
TINY IN YOUR CELLS TO RELEASE THE UPTAKE OF THAT CHEMICAL.
>> BPA HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY BECAUSE RECENTLY THE
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION CAME OUT AND SAID THAT IT
DECLARED THE CHEMICAL BPA SAFE FOR CONSUMERS WHILE AT THE SAME
TIME THERE'S THIS STUDY GOING ON THAT'S ACTUALLY LOOKING AT
WHETHER OR NOT BPA IS SAFE, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> SO WHEN THE FDA CAME OUT AND SAID PRELIMINARILY THEY THINK
IT'S SAFE, WHAT DID YOU THINK?
>> WELL, THERE'S TWO -- TWO IMMEDIATE RESPONSES.
ONE IS THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE
IN HUMANS THAT SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE MORE BPA IN
THEIR BODY ARE AT INCREASED RISK FOR DISEASES.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THE -- [INAUDIBLE]
>> OBESITY IN BOTH CHILDREN AND IN ADULTS AND INFERTILITY.
SO THOSE HUNDRED STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT
WE SHOULD TAKE LIGHTLY THAT THIS IS A CHEMICAL THAT DOES SEEM TO
HAVE EFFECTS ON PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME WHO ARE EXPOSED FROM
EVIDENCE LIVING.
THE OTHER THING AS YOU POINT OUT THERE'S THIS NEW STUDY -- IT'S
CALLED CLARITY AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BRING CLARITY
WHETHER BPA -- [LAUGH]
>> IS SAFE OR NOT, AND REALLY WHAT CLARITY WAS GOING TO DO WAS
TO DO WHAT'S TRADITIONALLY DONE WHEN WE TEST CHEMICALS FOR
TOXICITY WHICH IS TO LOOK TO SEE, YOU KNOW, DO THE ANIMALS
LIVE IF THEY'RE EXPOSED?
DO THEY HAVE CHANGES IN THE WEIGHT OF THEIR UTERUS OR THE
WEIGHT OF THEIR BRAIN?
WELL, THOSE ARE GOOD WAYS TO TELL YOU IF A CHEMICAL IS TOXIC,
WILL IT KILL YOU BUT CLARITY IS NOT TO LOOK AT THOSE END POINTS
BUT THINGS LIKE ABNORMAL BEHAVIORS IN RODENTS?
ABNORMAL FERTILITY AND MAMMARY GLAND DEVELOPMENT SO FDA SAYS
IT'S SAFE THEY LOOKED AT THE FIRSTDATA THAT BPA DOES NOT
OUTRIGHT KILL ANIMALS WE KNOW THAT.
YOU AND I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO IT NONE OF US ARE DYING FROM
TOUCHING A THERMAL RECEIPT PAPER BUT WHETHER IT'S CONTRIBUTING TO
DISEASE, WE NEED THE REST OF THE STUDY IN ORDER TO DRAW THAT
CONCLUSION.
>> AND SO WHY DO YOU THINK THAT FDA CAME OUT WITH HAVING KIND OF
PART A BUT NOT PART B AND MADE ITS PRELIMINARY FINDING?
>> SO THE DATA THAT WAS IN THAT PART A IS WHAT REGULATORY
AGENCIES LIKE FDA ARE USED TO LOOKING AT SO THEY'RE USED TO
LOOKING AT DOES THIS CHEMICAL KILL?
OR DOES THIS CHEMICAL MAIM?
BUT YOU AND I ARE NOT KILLED FROM OUR USE OF PERSONAL CARE
PRODUCTS OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE SPRAY IN OUR HOUSES.
IF THOSE CHEMICALS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO DISEASE, IT'S A
LONG, SLOW PROGRESSION.
>> AND SO DOES FDA EVER LOOK AT THAT LONG, SLOW PROGRESSION OR
THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT ON THE BODY?
>> NO, IS REALLY THE ANSWER.
THERE AREN'T REALLY GOOD METHODS TO LOOK AT LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS.
WE RARELY LOOK AT MORE THAN ONE CHEMICAL AT A TIME SO MOST
STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE ON BPA OR REALLY ANY OTHER
CHEMICAL, LOOK AT ONE CHEMICAL AT A TIME SO THERE'S A LOT THAT
WE'RE MISSING BY THE WAY THAT WE'VE SET UP CHEMICAL SAFETY
EVALUATIONS.
>> AND SO WITH THIS RESEARCH THAT'S GOING ON, THE PART B THAT
WILL BE AVAILABLE, DO WE KNOW WHEN THAT PORTION OF THE STUDY
WILL BE CONCLUDED?
>> YEAH, THOSE ARE STUDIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY BEING DONE
BY -- THERE'S 13 ACADEMIC PARTICIPANTS AND THEY'RE ALREADY
BEING PUBLISHED.
THEY'RE SORT OF BEING ROLLED OUT AS THE ACADEMICS FINISH AND
THERE'S 10 PAPERS THAT COME OUT ON PART B AND MORE TO COME.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE PAPERS, THEY DON'T SUGGEST THAT BPA IS
SAFE.
>> AND SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST THAT WE DO WITH THIS INFORMATION
NOW IF FDA ISN'T LOOKING AT THAT CUMULATIVE INFORMATION?
IS IT TIME FOR THE FDA TO PIVOT THE WAY IT LOOKS AT THIS THING?
>> I THINK CLARITY -- THE WHOLE POINT WAS TO HELP FDA PIVOT AS
YOU SAY.
IT WAS TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE WHERE WE COULD SAY, OKAY, IF DESIGN A,
WHERE WE WEIGH ORGANS ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE AND ISN'T
PREDICTIVE OF THE KINDS OF DISEASES WE'RE SEEING IN
CHILDREN LIKE ASTHMA AND ADHD OR ASTHMA OR INCREASED DISEASES
THAT ARE INCREASING IN THE POPULATION LIKE BREAST CANCER IF
A GOOD ENOUGH?
IS B GOOD ENOUGH?
I STILL HAVE HOPE WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE CLARITY STUDY
WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
I THINK, YES, FDA DOES NEED TO PIVOT BUT I ALSO THINK THAT
PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY PIVOTED SO, YOU KNOW --
>> YOU SEE BPA-FREE IN A LOT OF THINGS.
>> YEAH, I THINK CONSUMERS HAVE BECOME MUCH MORE SAVVY AND
THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY BUY?
I WOULD NOTE, THOUGH THAT A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE LABELED
BPA-FREE HAVE BPA REPLACEMENT CHEMICALS LIKE BPA DF AND S THEY
ARE CHEMICALLY VERY SIMILAR COMPOUNDS AND THEY'RE VERY
POORLY STUDIED AND THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE FROM MY LAB AND OTHERS
THAT SUGGEST THAT THEY COULD CAUSE HARM.
>> SO BRIEFLY, ARE THERE THINGS PEOPLE COULD DO TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES IF THE PRODUCTS DO CONTAIN THOSE OTHER CHEMICALS?
>> YEAH, SO -- I MEAN, I GENERALLY LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
IS THIS SOMETHING YOU REALLY NEED?
SO A LOT OF THE STUDENTS ON THE UMASS CAMPUS HAVE SHIFTED TO
REUSEABLE WATER BOTTLES WE'RE REDUCING WASTE AND, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU'RE GOING TO USE SOMETHING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME LIKE A
REUSEABLE BOTTLE, BUY THE SAFEST ONE THAT'S POSSIBLE.
CAN YOU BUY A STAINLESS STEEL?
CAN YOU BUY GLASS BOTTLE THEY WILL WRAP THEM IN TH
THINGS -- YEAH, THERE'S REALLY BEEN A LOT OF SUSTAINABLE
RESPONSES TO TRY TO AVOID CHEMICALS.
BUT I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD HE NOT LEAVE IT UP TO THE EVIDENCE
CONSUMER.
ARE YOU A CHEMIST, I'M NOT A CHEMIST WE SHOULDN'T BE REQUIRED
TO BE CHEMISTS TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND MAKE DECISIONS
FOR OURSELVES SO WHAT THAT MEANS WE AS CITIZENS AS CONSUMERS HAVE
TO PUSH COMPANIES AND REGULATORY AGENCIES TO DO BETTER.
♪