Q: My children are grown now, but back in the late 1970s I would mix their baby formula with boiled water and put it into the plastic liners of disposable baby bottles, which I now know contain bisphenol A (BPA). My children haven’t had any problems, but I am still concerned about the danger I’ve put them in. Is there anything they need to know to minimize their cancer risks? – Maria, Alameda, Calif.
A: Put a hold on the guilt. At this point, for most of us, BPA is the proverbial spilled milk (but don’t give your old plastic bottles to anyone you like), and it is likely not the only environmental carcinogen to which you and your children have been exposed. (In fact, receipts printed on thermal imaging paper — like most restaurant receipts — are a more potent source of BPA.) It doesn’t mean they’re doomed. Chemicals found to be carcinogens don’t always cause cancer, and you can always minimize risk by making a few smart lifestyle choices known to protect against the disease (including never drinking anything from polycarbonate plastic again).
