Is the DuraClear polycarbonate “glassware” sold by Williams-Sonoma BPA-free?
All polycarbonates contain BPA or Bisphenol-A. This chemical has been shown to potentially cause cancer in lab rats. Although the amount of BPA released from polycarbonates is within the safe levels recommended by the FDA, it has raised concern especially when used in the manufacture of baby bottles. Unfortunately, polycarbonate products are grouped with other plastic products by the FDA and so sometimes it is hard to tell from a manufacturing stamp exactly what a product is made from.Unless a hardened clear plastic product says it is specifically “non-BPA polycarbonate” it should at the very least be suspect. Since neither DuraClear nor Williams-Sonoma state that the product is made from non-BPA material and specifically state that it is a polycarbonate I would conclude that it does contain BPA. For more on BPA look here: http://www.bisphenol-a.org/human/polyplastics.
