VOA标准英语2011--Study Finds High Levels of BPA in Canned

Study Finds High Levels of BPA in Canned Food for Kids

The industrial chemical BPA has been used to make hard plastic bottles and the lining¹ of food cans for decades. After studies indicated that the chemical could play a role in cancers, heart disease and abnormal brain development in children, its use in baby bottles was curtailed² in the U.S. The Breast Cancer Fund has now released a report about BPA in canned foods marketed specifically to children.
Rachel Gibson, like many working mothers, wants to feed her children the best food she can find.
So for this snack, she chooses organic food in a glass container. But….
"I am pretty certain that the cap, the lining on this part, probably has bisphenol A in it because there is some sort of epoxy that is used for that," she said.
Her concern is legitimate³ - Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been linked to breast and prostate cancer and other diseases in animal studies.
BPA is widely used in plastics and epoxy resins⁴, including the lining of food cans. It has been identified as an endocrine disruptor which means it affects glands⁵ and hormones⁶.
The Breast Cancer Fund, works to eliminate environmental health hazards that cause cancer. The advocacy group released a report showing high levels of BPA in canned food marketed to children. Connie Engel is with the Breast Cancer Fund.
"The Breast Cancer Fund tested popular canned food items marketed to kids and found out that every single one contained BPA," she said. "The highest levels were found in Campbell’s Disney Princess and Campbell’s Toy Story soups."
Engel says BPA in the can lining migrates into the food.
Dr. Leena Hilakivi-Clarke is a researcher at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. She says animal studies show a direct link between BPA and breast cancer.
"Basically 90 percent of humans, when the BPA levels are measured, are positive," said Dr. Hilakivi. "So one can find levels of BPA in most people."
Dr. Hilakivi says cancer can take 50 years to develop. She's more concerned about type two diabetes⁷ in human children, and notes that BPA affects children and adults differently.
"I think that in both there is an increase risk for example for type two diabetes but children in general are much more susceptible⁸ to exposure of endocrine disruptors and the most sensitive are pregnant women and their unborn fetuses," she said.
Besides cancer and diabetes, other studies have linked BPA to infertility⁹, early puberty in girls and obesity¹⁰.
Many of the medical findings on BPA have been contested, and studies continue. Some U.S. states have banned BPA in baby bottles, children’s toys and utensils¹¹.
A spokesman for Campbell's, the company with the highest BPA levels in the study, has said it is confident in the safety of its products. He said evidence shows BPA in can linings¹² poses no threat to human health.
Annie's, another company cited in the study, says it is looking for an alternative to BPA.

1 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

2 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 resins   

n.树脂，松香( resin的名词复数 )；合成树脂v.树脂，松香( resin的第三人称单数 )；合成树脂

参考例句：

• The resins were used to turn out millions of helmet liners. 用这类树脂生产了成百万只钢盔内衬。 来自辞典例句
• Cheapness is one of the main attractions of polyester resins. 廉价是聚酯树脂受到欢迎的主要原因之一。 来自辞典例句

5 glands   

n.腺( gland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
• the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺

6 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

7 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

8 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

9 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

10 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

11 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

12 linings   

n.衬里( lining的名词复数 )；里子；衬料；组织

参考例句：

• a pair of leather gloves with fur linings 一双毛皮衬里的皮手套
• Many of the garments have the customers' name tags sewn into the linings. 这些衣服有很多内衬上缝有顾客的姓名签。 来自辞典例句