- DON’T put any plastics in the dishwasher. - DON’T microwave
foods in plastic containers. - DO discard plastics with any sign
of wear or damage. - DO use number codes to guide your use of
plastic (click here). Bisphenol A (BPA) was developed in the
1930s as a synthetic estrogen that might be used to assist women
experiencing difficult pregnancies. A very similar chemical
called diethyl sylbestral (DES) was later found to cause cancer
and serious reproductive problems in both mothers and the
daughters of mothers who had taken it; soon both chemicals were
no longer used in medical applications. But in the 1950s,
researchers found a new use for BPA: It could be polymerized to
make hard plastics. The new compound found its way into
thousands of uses including baby bottles, reusable water
bottles, CDs, DVDs, eyeglasses, some dental sealants, the resins
used to line food cans and even printer’s ink and carbonless
paper. Worldwide production of BPA is more than six billion
pounds a year.