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自從大流行以來，你有沒有儲存罐頭食品？
或者你是一個收據囤積者——把所有的紙質銷售收據儲存起來以備交稅或退款？
專家們說，如果你想避免與兒童和成人的各種健康障礙有關的有毒化學物質，這兩種可能都不是好習慣。
金屬食品和飲料罐內襯有環氧樹脂塗層，該塗層由一類稱為雙酚類（BPA）的化學物質製成。
這類物質包括臭名昭著的雙酚A，曾被用於製造嬰兒奶瓶，吸管杯和嬰兒配方奶粉容器，直到十年前受驚的父母抵制了這些產品。
化合物BPA是一種內分泌干擾物，會影響人體中的激素，胎兒和嬰兒尤其容易受到傷害。它被認為與胎兒畸形，低出生體重，嬰兒和兒童的大腦和行為障礙，以及成人糖尿病，心臟疾病，癌症和肥胖有關。一項研究甚至發現接觸BPA的工人出現勃起功能障礙。
根據近日在《JAMA》雜誌網路版上發表的最新研究，任何原因的死亡都可能被列入這個名單。
這項新研究發現，尿液中雙酚A含量較高的人在10年內死亡的可能性增加了約49％。
報告作者，紐約大學朗格尼醫院環境兒科主任Leonardo Trasande說：“這是另一個令人信服的研究結果，它有力地說明了這些在罐頭襯裡和熱敏紙中的化學物質所構成的威脅的嚴重性。”
在熱敏紙收據裡
BPA是一種自1960年以來一直存在的工業化學品，被用於製造聚碳酸酯塑膠（例如水瓶）以及用於塗料和密封許多產品的樹脂。
根據美國疾病控制與預防中心的資料，飲料容器，罐頭食品內襯，牙科密封劑，光碟，塑膠餐具，汽車零件，抗衝擊安全裝置和許多玩具中都含有BPA及其姊妹化學品。
如今，人們最常見的接觸方法是透過被鋁罐和飲料瓶內襯汙染的食物。Trasande說，次高水平的接觸是透過在幾乎每家商店超市開出的熱敏紙收據。
“絕對不接受熱敏紙收據是避免接觸的直接方法。” 他說。
他補充說，瞭解大流行期間的接觸風險尤其重要，因為研究表明，使用洗手液是這類化學品吸收到體內的關鍵途徑。
Trasande說：“一項研究發現，如果您處理這些熱敏紙收據並使用洗手液，您體內的雙酚類物質吸收量將增加近十倍。”
不幸的是，他補充說，使用大量洗手液的商店收銀員“在大流行的情況下度過了非常艱難的時期”。
如今，考慮到所有因素，他們通常戴著手套，以減少接觸，”Trasande指出，“但是，在理想的世界中，我們將全部使用電子產品，或改用舊式學校用紙。
官方立場
美國FDA認為，根據目前的研究，食品中的雙酚A含量“通常被認為是安全的”，或者在監管術語中稱為“ GRAS”。
FDA說，國家毒理學計劃繼續保持對潛在危害的研究。
在2010年，研究小組發現對胎兒，嬰兒和兒童的大腦和行為以及對前列腺的影響“有些擔憂”；對乳腺或青春期早期的“不太擔憂”；對胎兒畸形、低出生體重或未來的生殖問題“可忽略不計”。
然而，最近的一項研究發現，塑膠、殺蟲劑、阻燃劑和其他商品中的內分泌干擾物對我們健康有負面影響的證據在過去五年翻了一番。
雖然雙酚A只是其中一種，但它是研究最多的合成化學物質，在人體組織中廣泛存在。一項研究發現，飲用聚碳酸酯瓶裝水在短短一週內使雙酚A水平增加了2/3。疾控中心的一份報告發現，幾乎每個美國成年人的尿液中都含有雙酚A。
美國化學委員會表示，“內分泌干擾物”一詞“被廣泛濫用”，並發表以下宣告：
“為了保持在安全範圍內，消費者應該仔細閱讀產品標籤，並仔細遵循說明書。有些接觸根本不會產生任何反應，而另一些則可能會產生暫時的反應，身體可以自然地調整和維持其正常功能。首要重點應放在防止過度接觸，以避免任何潛在的健康風險。”
雙酚家族的興起
儘管如今在許多塑膠瓶和容器中都看到不含雙酚A，但環境和健康安全專家表示，替代它們的化學藥品可能同樣有害。
那是因為它們仍然屬於相同的“雙酚家族”，並且似乎對人體具有相同的化學反應。還有40種雙酚A替代品。
Trasande說，不幸的是，對於消費者而言，科學必須對這40種替代物中逐一進行重複研究，以確定它們對健康的影響，即使人體對每種替代物的反應可能相似。
Trasande說：“總會有一個滯後，但與此同時，人們仍在繼續接觸。”
我們該怎麼辦
Trasande說：“如果避免食用罐頭食品，就避免了雙酚的主要來源。”
他補充說：“現在，罐裝水果和蔬菜的替代品是冷凍或新鮮的水果和蔬菜，我知道在大流行期間存在一些可及性問題，並且某些經濟困難群體存在食物短缺。需要解決這一問題”。
如果您擔心接觸雙酚家族，還可以採取其他保護方法：
·
不要用微波爐加熱塑膠容器中的食物
·
購買和儲存食物時，選擇玻璃或不鏽鋼，而不是塑膠
·
儘可能購買乾燥、新鮮或冷凍食品（Trasande說，冷凍食品上的塑膠袋並不重要，只要你不用微波爐加熱就可以了）
·
請勿在洗碗機中使用刺激性的洗滌劑或清洗塑膠製品
·
避免使用熱敏紙收據-僅選擇電子郵件
另外，一項研究發現，僅僅幾天從你的生活方式中消除類雙酚A的產品，就能降低血液中雙酚A的含量。
＊
Tips
： 含有BPA或鄰苯二甲酸鹽的產品
雙酚A（或BPA）和鄰苯二甲酸鹽通常被稱為“無處不在的化學品”，因為它們存在於許多產品中-從您帶到體育館的水壺到廚房的地板。科學家對這些化學物質破壞人體激素表示擔憂。最近的研究將它們與男性和女性的各種生育問題聯絡在一起。FDA說，它仍在調查 BPA 的安全性，並監測我們對鄰苯二甲酸鹽的接觸以確定是否存在風險。
▲塑膠食品容器：據疾病控制與預防中心（CDC）稱，大多數人接觸BPA來自塑膠容器中儲存的食物和水。BPA可以從這些容器中浸出到我們的飯菜中，特別是當它們在微波爐中加熱時。
▲指甲油：根據FDA的規定，鄰苯二甲酸酯可用於使塑膠更柔軟，並且常用於化妝品中。例如，鄰苯二甲酸鹽有助於防止指甲油開裂。它們還可以在洗髮水和乳液中找到。
▲牙科密封膠：這是刷牙的另一個原因。根據美國牙科協會的說法，“用於治療和預防蛀牙的牙科材料可能會在放置後幾個小時內導致非常低水平的BPA暴露。”
▲兒童玩具：鄰苯二甲酸鹽可在兒童玩具，撥浪鼓和牙膠中找到。最大的風險來自兒童將其放在嘴裡的物品。國會已永久禁止在許多兒童產品中使用三種鄰苯二甲酸鹽（DEHP，DBP和BBP1），其含量不得超過0。1％。
▲罐頭食品：BPA環氧樹脂可從金屬食物罐的內壁滲入食物中。在一項CDC研究中，研究人員在幾乎所有2517名參與者的尿液中都發現了BPA的痕跡。
▲保鮮膜：儘管許多公司已開始從其產品中去除BPA，但保鮮膜中也經常發現BPA。您會在這些品牌的標籤上看到“不含雙酚A”字樣。
▲髮膠：鄰苯二甲酸鹽也用於髮膠中，以避免僵硬，根據FDA，鄰苯二甲酸鹽允許噴霧在頭髮上形成柔性膜。
▲乙烯基地板：家裡的地板和牆壁可能含有鄰苯二甲酸鹽，含量是玩具允許含量的幾十倍。
High BPA levels linked to 49% greater risk of death within 10 years, study says
Look into your pantry —— have you packed it with canned foods since the start of the pandemic？
Or are you a receipt hoarder —— who keeps all your paper sales receipts for taxes or refunds？
Neither of those habits are probably a great idea， experts say， if you want to avoid toxic chemicals linked to a variety of health disorders in children and adults。
Metal food and beverage cans are lined with an epoxy resin coating made from a family of chemicals called bisphenols。
That group includes the infamous bisphenol A that was used to create baby bottles， sippy cups and infant formula containers until frightened parents boycotted those products a decade ago。
The chemical compound BPA is an endocrine disruptor， affecting the hormones in the body， and fetuses and babies are especially vulnerable。 It‘s been linked to fetal abnormalities， low birth weight， and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children， as well as diabetes， heart disease， cancer and obesity in adults。 One study even found erectile dysfunction in workers exposed to BPA。
Death from any cause may now be added to that list， according to new research published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open。
The new study found people who had higher levels of bisphenol A in their urine were about 49% more likely to die during a 10-year period。
“This is another puzzle piece that compellingly speaks to the seriousness of the threat posed by these chemicals used in can linings and thermal papers，” said study author Dr。 Leonardo Trasande， director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health。
Although this is the first study to find that result， “this is not necessarily a huge stretch from the perspective of what you might expect to happen because those three conditions —— obesity， diabetes， and heart disease —— all step up the risk of mortality，” Trasande said。
It’s in your receipts
An industrial chemical that has been around since the 1960s， BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastics —— such as water bottles —— as well as resins used to coat and seal many products。
BPA and its sister chemicals can be found in beverage containers， the lining of canned foods， dental sealants， compact disks， plastic dinnerware， car parts， impact-resistant safety equipment and many toys， according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention。
Today， the most common method of exposure for people is through food contaminated by the linings of aluminum cans and beverages。 The next highest level of exposure is via thermal paper used to create receipts at nearly every store， Trasande said。
“Definitely saying no to that thermal paper receipt is a straightforward way to avoid exposure。” he said。
It‘s especially important to understand the risk of exposure during the pandemic， he added， because studies have shown that using hand sanitizer is a key gateway for the chemicals to absorb into the body。
“A study found that if you handle these thermal paper receipts and use hand sanitizer， you absorb almost tenfold more bisphenols into your body，” Trasande said。
Unfortunately， he added， cashiers in stores who use a lot of hand sanitizer are having “a very tough time in the context of the pandemic。”
They’re generally wearing gloves these days， so that reduces their exposure， all things considered，“ Trasande noted。 ”But in an ideal world， we would go all electronic or shift back to old school papers。“
The official stance
The US Food and Drug Administration believes that， based on current research， the levels of BPA in foods are ”generally recognized as safe“ or what is known in regulatory jargon as ”GRAS。“
The FDA says the National Toxicology Program continues to stay on top of research into potential harms。
In 2010， the group found ”some concern‘ about the impact on fetuses， infants and children’s brain and behavior， as well as on the prostate gland； “minimal concern” when it comes to mammary glands or early puberty； and “negligible concern” about fetal abnormalities， low birth weight or future reproductive problems。
However， a recent review found evidence has doubled in the last five years about the negative impact on our health of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics， pesticides， flame retardants and other merchandise。
While BPA was only one of those categories， it‘s the most studied synthetic chemical， and it’s widely found in human tissue。 One study found drinking water from polycarbonate bottles increased BPA levels by two-thirds in just one week。 A report by the CDC found levels of BPA in the urine of nearly every American adult。
The American Chemistry Council， which represents US chemical， plastics and chlorine industries， said the term “endocrine disruptor” was “widely misused，” and provided the following statement when CNN published the review of evidence：
“To stay below ranges of exposure determined to be safe， consumers should read product labels closely and follow directions carefully。 Some exposures will produce no response at all， while others may bring about temporary responses to which the body can naturally adjust and maintain its normal function。 The primary focus should be on preventing over-exposures so that any potential health risks can be avoided。”
Rise of the bisphenol family
While BPA-free may be seen today on many plastic bottles and containers， environmental and health safety experts say the chemicals that have replaced them may be just as bad。
That‘s because they are still in the same “bisphenol family，” and appear to have the same chemical reaction on the body。
“I use a twist on the singer Prince to explain it，” Trasande said。 “Prince renamed himself as the artist formerly named as Prince。 So I call it the artist formerly known as BPA。 And there are 40 BPA replacements out there。”
Unfortunately for consumers， Trasande added， science must repeat studies on each of those 40 replacements to establish their health effects， even though the body is likely to respond in a similar manner to each。
“There’s always a lag， but in the meantime， people continue to be exposed，” Trasante said。 “And you have to ask yourself how much more do we have to do this before we start regulating chemicals by class？”
What to do
“If you avoid canned food consumption， you avoid the major source of bisphenol exposure，” Trasande said。
“Now the alternative to canned fruits and vegetables is frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables， and I appreciate there are some accessibility issues during the pandemic， and the existence of food deserts for certain economically disadvantaged groups。 That needs to be addressed，” he added。
Other ways to protect you and your family if you are concerned about exposure to BPA and its sisters include：
· Don‘t microwave foods in plastic containers
· Choose glass or stainless steel， not plastic， when buying and storing foods
· Buy dried， fresh or frozen foods if you can （the plastic bags on frozen foods are not a concern， Trasande said， as long as you don’t microwave them）
· Don‘t use harsh detergents or wash plastics in the dishwasher
· Avoid thermal paper receipts —— opt for email only
And be assured that a study found just a few days of eliminating BPA-like products from your lifestyle can lower the amount of BPA in your bloodstream。