The Breast Cancer Fund has weighed in on the BPA controversy with a summary indicting the widespread use of the chemical.

In the summary, Gretchen Lee called BPA “one of the most universal chemicals in modern life.”

BPA was originally synthesized to use in estrogen replacement therapy in 1936. But in the 1940s, plastics researchers discovered it and began using it to soften transparent, brittle polycarbonate plastic.

Now it is used in a variety of consumer products, especially water and soda bottles and liners for food cans. In addition, it’s an additive for dental sealants and other plastics, including plenty used by infants and toddlers. In fact, more than 2 billion pounds of BPA are produced in the US each year. Counting other countries as well, there are more than six billion pounds produced annually.

The problem with BPA, wrote Lee, is that it is an unstable polymer. This means that molecules can easily fall apart, responding to conditions such as heat, acid, or base. Once the bonds break, the BPA is free to leach out of the plastic and be absorbed into the food or beverage, and into the person consuming the food or beverage.

CDC researchers have found BPA in 95 percent of the people they tested. It has even been found in blood samples from amniotic fluid and fetuses.

More than 130 studies suggest that at very low doses, BPA is associated with a large number of health problems, including prostate and breast cancer, obesity, ADD, early puberty, brain damage, immune system irregularities, and lowered sperm counts. Tiny doses have been shown to disrupt normal prenatal development.

To cut down your family’s exposure to this dangerous chemical, stop using bottled water and soda, and get a home water filter. Carry your water with you in a stainless steel bottle. Protect your family! Consider the best home water filter on the market, Multi-Pure, which stands up to many years of use.  I can give you a great deal on Multi-Pure filters. Take a look!