The environmental association Zero maintains that the European Union must advance regulation to prevent bisphenol A, a synthetic chemical substance, from being used in food and drink packaging.
The European Environment Agency has warned of the high exposure of Europeans to the synthetic chemical substance bisphenol A (BPA), which could put the health of millions of people at risk. The study, carried out in 11 countries, including Portugal, reveals that exposure to this substance is much higher than recommended levels.
BPA is a compound that is used in plastics (to make them harder) and is found, for example, in food containers, plastic bottles or cans, and even in toys.
In some countries, such as France, the substance has already been banned, but in most Member States, Susana Fonseca, a researcher in the field of plastics, who is part of the management of Zero, says that more regulation is needed. .
“The problem is that Portugal is not a country where these types of measures are normally taken. It is not a very proactive country for chemicals, it is normally the Nordic countries, in this case Sweden also has more restrictive measures or France. of chemical substances there is legislation that is far ahead of most European countries,” he indicates, in statements to TSFexplaining that it is precisely for these reasons that “the best way to guarantee the protection” of all citizens is to have European regulation.
“Therefore, for countries like Portugal, where it is very difficult to make progress on these issues, what we defend is that European regulation is the best way to guarantee the protection of all of us. It is important that these countries take these steps,” The important thing is is that this means that it is possible, and if in these countries it is possible for certain products to be bisphenol-free, it is also possible in other countries. The industry cannot say that it is not possible,” he explains.
Dangers associated with this substance used in plastics include threats to the immune system, endocrine disruption, reduced fertility and allergic skin reactions.
Susana Fonseca highlights that, rather than prohibiting the use of BPA, it is essential to go further and take measures to avoid the use of chemicals from this family.
“The rest of the substances in this same family generally present – some studies have already been carried out – the same characteristics and impact, our endocrine system, all the problems it can cause in reproductive terms, are still there and the risk remains. In other words, We are restricting the use of certain substances, what we actually see is that they disappear from these samples precisely because there is no more effective way to reduce exposure to chemicals than not including them in the products. Being able to control the substances throughout the process is false “he argues.
For this reason, the researcher insists that the only way to prevent millions of Europeans from being exposed to these substances is through regulation and warns that if current levels exceed the recommended average it is because there is a lack of legislation.
“The justification for this high exposure situation is that the regulations have not yet prohibited the use of this substance more broadly. The restrictions that currently exist are aimed at products for babies and children up to 3 years old, whether toys, u other types of products that are used and manufactured specifically for that age, but not all human beings from the age of three benefit from this type of restriction,” he laments, adding that this substance is present “in very high quantities.” in products used daily.
“It is a substance that in Europe is registered as being in normal use in more than one million tons. We are talking about a substance that is widely used and whose use was urgently restricted,” he says.
For this reason, the environmentalist advises the population to avoid products packaged in metal and prefer those packaged in glass or even stainless steel, warning that “even reusable water bottles are usually made of polycarbonate.”
“Polycarbonate is one of the polishes that uses bisphenol the most. To avoid being exposed to contact with these products, which are commonly used, often daily, subject to temperature, which normally occurs with plastics and plastic additives , it’s the worst”. “Temperature, acidity, fat, are situations that normally favor the migration of substances from plastic to food,” he explains.
Last June, the European Environment Agency had already highlighted the presence of bisphenol A in the bodies of more than 90% of the participants in the study, warning of the continued production and consumption in Europe of “large quantities of products chemicals.”
Source: TSF
