Common plastic packaging material linked to increased risk of autism in boys

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A chemical commonly found in plastic packaging and lining of food cans increases the risk of autism in young boys, a new study has found. “Exposure to plastic chemicals during pregnancy has already been shown in some studies to be associated with subsequent autism in offspring,” professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby, one of the study’s authors, said in a statement. This appears to be part of the autism puzzle.” Professor Ponsonby said while autism arises from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, BPA exposure seems to play a contributory role, especially in boys. Explaining how BPA acts in the body, Professor Ian Rae, an expert on chemicals in the environment at the University of Melbourne said: “Bisphenol A is an industrial chemical that mimics natural hormones and can disrupt their action, especially in developing babies and children.” “BPA’s most common uses are in plastics — epoxy resins and polycarbonate — and in that form it’s quite safe.