This powder is used to make polycarbonate plastics. It contains the chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA. Even tiny quantities may pose a health hazard. Andreas Gies from Germany's Federal Environment Agency says it is risky.

“Bisphenol A is in many objects that are in everyday use. It’s in DVDs for example – they’re made completely out of a plastic that’s based on Bisphenol A. The lining inside of cans could also release BPA. And baby bottles that are made of plastic can release the substance at some point.”

Cans may contain a certain amount of Bisphenol.

Animal testing has shown that the chemical can have effects similar to the hormone estrogen. If female snails are exposed to it, they produce above-average numbers of eggs. If it’s given to males, their genitals atrophy and they become sterile.

Animal testing has shown that the chemical can have effects similar to estrogen.

Closer relatives, such as other primates develop brain damage if they get too much of the compound. What does BPA do to humans?

Dr. Andreas Gies explains: “We know that Bisphenol A can affect animal development, particularly when exposure is heavy before or right after birth...especially the development of the sexual organs and behavior. But other things as well, like the chances of developing cancers much later in life. We’re worried that the dysfunctions observed in other animals might also occur in human beings.”

There’s good reason to fear. BPA seeps out of plastics, and some eventually ends up in the body - either through the food chain, or by way of house dust. Warming a plastic container accelerates the process.

Plastics emit up to 55 times more BPA when heated.

Plastics emit up to 55 times more BPA when heated. But that hasn’t stopped production. Plastics that are made with Bisphenol A are light and transparent. They’re easy to shape, and have material properties that most other plastics just don’t have. That’s the reason why increasing amounts of it are produced – eight percent more each year. That’s a huge amount in the chemicals sector.

British scientists have shown that in some places, around 90 percent of the population already has high levels of BPA. Ecotoxicology expert Tamara Galloway and physician David Melzer tested urine samples from around 1,500 'average' adults in the US. They also found that the amount of Bisphenol A in an individual's bloodstream correlated with their chance of contracting some major diseases.

"We found that those with the highest urinary levels of Bisphenol A were more than twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease”, says David Melzer. “But also interestingly, more likely to have raised liver enzymes. People are eating the same foods and drinking the same drinks over long periods of time, so they're getting a fairly constant dose, we think. And that's the real worry -- whether long-term exposure is problematic."

Consumers who want to avoid Bisphenol A have to keep a sharp eye on labels.

The European Food Safety Authority has set maximum daily dosage for BPA at 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. BPA doesn't stay in the body for long before it's excreted in the urine, which is why some studies claim it's not dangerous. But no one knows what it does to the body while it's there.

According to Andreas Gies, Bisphenol A is undoubtedly one of the most profitable substances the industry produces. “But we can't say with any certainty how dangerous BPA is for us or our children. We can't exclude the possibility that it is dangerous. I think we should take the safe route, and remove Bisphenol A from areas where it could affect people or the environment." Consumers who want to avoid Bisphenol A completely have to keep a sharp eye on labels. But if you really want to play it safe, it's probably best to switch back to good old glass bottles.