What have certain types of plastic recently been linked to?
Wondering what to do with all this information, I put the question to some of the scientists issuing these unsettling findings. None of them gives plastics the all-clear. One leading bisphenol A researcher, Frederick vom Saal of the University of Missouri-Columbia, never uses plastic dishes for hot food or in the microwave. Dr. Theo Colborn, a pioneer of endocrine-disruption research, steers clear of plastic food containers. “I put everything into glass,” she told me. Other researchers are also cautious. “I don’t want to induce panic, but I think we should be addressing women of childbearing age,” says Foster. Because phthalates and bisphenol A seem to have the greatest impact in the womb, he and Swan suggest that women who are pregnant or are planning to conceive take the most precautions. “These fetal effects are permanent and irreversible, while impacts of adult exposure appear to be reversible,” explains Swan. Fortunately, bisphenol A is relatively easy to avoid during pregnancy, s
