Study Links Bisphenol-A to Cancer

A study published in the journal

Cancer Research in June 2006 links bisphenol-A (BPA)—used to make the hard, clear plastic polycarbonate as well as most epoxies—to cancer. BPA, which mimics the human hormone estrogen, altered the structure of genes in rats’ prostate cells when they were exposed to low doses of the chemical, the study found. The changes affect how DNA sequences turn on and off, making subjects more susceptible to cancer later in life. More startling, the changes are believed to be passed on to future generations.