Role Cards – TEXT 6: Plastic (Not) Fantastic

ROLE CARDS – TEXT 6

Plastic (Not) Fantastic:

Food Container Leach a Potentially Harmful Chemical

Michelle Haas (Marianne)

Michelle Haas is a famous Austrian analytical chemist who is very interested in BPA. So she has pursued the ongoing discussions on BPA all over the world. Michelle tries to be open-minded.

Michelle gives general information on BPA:

history and use in plastic industry (advantages – prevent corrosion, transparency, shatterproof plastics)

negative effects (mime of estrogen, breast cancer, sperm count)

leaching process (when?)

At the end of the discussion Michelle gives information about the situation on BPA in Europe (new E.U. law (REACH), use of BPA, attitude of the EFSA and European scientists).

Betty Grey (Magdalena)

Betty Grey is an analytical chemist of the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) who managed the analysis of urine samples of 2004. They were re-analyzed in 2007 to search for traces of BPA. Betty gives information on the outcome of it.

Steven Hentges(Bernhard)

Steven Hentges is the executive director of the polycarbonate / BPA global group of the American Chemistry Council. He earned his Ph.D. at the National Academy of Science.

Hentges is in favour of BPA. He thinks that it is the best possibility of a substitute because of its great attributes (cheap, lightweight, shatterproof). Other substitutes will cause a lot of adaptation in the plastic industry, which obviously costs a lot of money. Hentges tries to convince the other participants that BPA is the best substitute. He points out that several studies (FDA, EPA …) proof that BPA is not a concern of human health.

Hentges admits that there is an exposure to BPA, but it is only a low-level exposure and therefore some kind of part of our diet. He argues that BPA doesn’t linger in the body for more than a few days, so it can’t cause a lot of harm.

Hentges also tells the participants that the safety of BPA is additionally proofed by another research which was funded by his organization.

Scott Belcher (Anita)

Scott Belcher is an endocrine biologist and associate professor at the University of Cincinnati (department: Pharmacology andCell Biophysics). He is a specialist on Bisphenol A (BPA) and brain development. Belcher earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas in 1993.

Belcher leaded a new study on the leakage of BPA which he is going to point out.

Belcher is against BPA. He has decided not to use those “fantastic plastic products” based on his knowledge of scientific data.

Laura N. Vandenberg(Caroline)

Laura Vandenberg is a developmental biologist at TuftsUniversity in Boston. She is the author of a new study which was reported in the journal Reproductive Toxicology. The subject of it was the effects of BPA on rodents.

Laura gives information about the study and its stunning results.

Retha Newbold (Julia)

Retha Newbold is an endocrinologist of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIH). She tested BPA effects on mice: Retha found out that BPA impairs the fertility in female mice. But most interesting is the fact that therefore the BPA doesn’t have to be in the organism for long periods. Further Retha notes that BPA is linked to breast and prostate cancer occurrences. There is still research going on concerningalters menstrual cycles and diabetes in lab mice because of BPA. For her it is very clear that there is reason for concern if using the animal models.

Retha gives information about her study and points out that the unborn baby is the thing to worry about most.

FrederickS. vom Saal (Steffi)

Frederick vom Saal is a reproductive biologist and neurobiologist at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He earned his Ph.D. 1976 at RutgersUniversity and headed the NIH panel that concluded BPA as a risk to humans.

He is interested in the effects of BPA in connection to babies compared with animal studies. Vom Saal points out that babies likely face the ”highest exposure” in human populations ( baby bottles, infant formula cans). He also gives information about the animal studies (fetal mouse prostate, exposure levels …).

Vom Saal is genuine that there are plenty of other materials (polyethylene, polypropylene …) which can be used as substitutes at least in some applications. He thinks that the plastic industry should support the research of other substitutes.

John Dingell (Stefan)

John David Dingell, Jr. is 81 years old and is a DemocraticUnited States Representative from Michigan. Further he is currently the Dean (longest currently serving member) of the House of Representatives. Mr. Dingell, who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, has launched an investigation into BPA. He gives information about it and speaks aboutthe outcome of it (company SIMILAC, FDA). Mr. Dingell also questions a law of 1976 (the Toxic Substance Control Act) and points out the lacks of it and the connection of the FDA to it.

Stephanie Kwisnek (Judith)

Stephanie Kwisnek is the spokeswoman of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She gives information about the outcome of a study which was done by the FDA. The FDA is in favour of the use of BPA.

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