BPA
Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, can be found in a wide range of plastics, including water bottles and baby bottles, canned food containers, and even every day personal care products such as sunscreen, nail polish, body wash, lotions, bar soaps, shampoo, conditioners, shaving creams, and face lotions/cleanser. The chemical poses a risk to fetus development when pregnant mothers ingest the chemical's polycarbonates that begin breaking down as plastic food and liquid containers are warmed. When BPA enters the body, it crosses the human placenta and accumulates in concentrations that have been proven to alter development. Women exposed to high levels of BPA during pregnancy had an 83% higher rate of miscarriage than women who had not been so heavily exposed.
Experiments have shown that even low doses of BPA in utero can reduce fertility and fecundity as adults. Technology is in production which allows for accurate detection of BPA in water sources, but BPA exposure can also be avoided by using more glass, stainless steel or porcelain containers, especially when heating foods. Paying attention to the way your food and liquid is packaged at your local grocery store and checking to ensure the plastics currently in use do not contain any forms of Bisphenol can also go a long in way in avoiding exposure.