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Bisphenol A, found in everything from baby bottles to the lining of
tin cans, could constitute a danger to human life and health, Health
Canada reported last week.
Even the dental industry has cause for concern:”Just when they thought
they could breathe easy after years of controversy concerning
mercury-based fillings, dentists are finding themselves at the centre
of a new debate over the safety of the alternatives,” writes Carly
Weeks in The other place bisphenol A lurks: our teeth
.
“An increasing number of dentists are using sealants and fillings that
may expose patients to bisphenol A, a chemical the federal government
said last week is potentially dangerous and will be banned from use in
plastic baby bottles.”
Some studies have found detectable levels of BPA in the saliva of
patients after they received sealants or fillings, but experts are
divided as to whether this low exposure constitutes a health risk.”
The chemical, which studies show acts like the female hormone
estrogen, has been linked to early puberty in girls, breast and
prostate cancer, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorderto
cancer and infertility in animals.
Dr. Khatter is a family physician and environment and health expert who leads chemical-related policy work at Environmental Defence.
Dr. Khatter has a master’s degree in environmental studies and has sat
on a number of working groups tasked with providing expert advice to
Health Canada and Environment Canada.
For the past couple of years, Dr. Khatter has been working on the
review of Canada’s national pollution law, the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, and on the federal government’s Chemicals Management
Plan.
Dr. Khatter is also a board member of Health Care Without Harm and
the President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the
Environment. He has scientific and policy expertise related to the
environment and health, with a unique perspective that comes from being
a physician.
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