The makers of plastic baby bottles, canned foods, drinking containers and other household plastics use the toxic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) that holds various health concerns. But they have been found switching to another alternative Bisphenol S (BPS), boasting a BPA-free label on their consumer products in order to alleviate concerns over the presence of toxic materials in their containers.
But a new study has found that the supposedly safer bisphenol S may not be a safe alternative to the BPA.
The study, conducted by the scientists at the University of Calgary, found an association between the compound and hyperactivity in zebrafish.
According to the scientists, the bisphenol S manipulates the proper formation of neurons in the embryonic zebrafish, leading to severe hormonal imbalances as well as hyperactivity in the maturing test subjects.
Study author Deborah Kurrasch, from Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, said, “Our findings were very surprising. This was a very, very, very low dose, so we didn’t think using a dose this low could have any effect,”
“These findings are important because they support that the prenatal period is a particularly sensitive stage, and reveals previously unexplored avenues of research into how early exposure to chemicals may alter brain development,” added study co-author Cassandra Kinch.
The researchers found that the development of neuron in the zebrafish showed rise of 180 percent when they compared them to those that were not exposed to the chemicals.
The researchers also expressed need for more in-depth research works in order to confirm the adverse effect of the chemicals on human brain development.
The study’s findings have been detailed online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
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