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According to a French study that has been published on Monday, a chemical Bisphenol A used in plastic container and drinks cans have been shown to affect the functioning of the intestines.

The Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences journal reported that National Institute of Agronomic Research researchers in Toulouse have found that the digestive tract of rats react negatively to even low doses of the chemical also called BPA. This research was also carried on the human intestine cells and it was found that the chemicals have lowered the permeability of the intestine and the immune system’s response to digestive inflammation.

BPA is used in the production of polycarbonated plastics and epoxy resins found in the plastic containers, baby bottles, the lining of cans used for food and beverages and in the dental sealants.

Over the past decades, more than 130 studies have linked even lower levels of BPA, which can leach from the plastic, to serious health problems like, breast cancer, obesity, and the early onset of puberty.

The French study focuses on the first organ that comes in to the contact of this chemical i.e. the intestine. “The researchers have orally administered the doses of this chemical to the rats that were equivalent to about 10 times less than the daily amount i.e. considered safe for humans” stated the Toulouse Institute.

It has said that they saw that BPA reduced the permeability of the intestinal lining through which water and essential minerals enter the body. They also found that infant rats exposed to BPA in the uterus and during feeding have a higher risk of developing severe intestinal inflammation in adulthood.

The study “shows the very elevated sensitivity on the intestine of Bisphenol A and opens news avenues for research” including to define new acceptable thresholds of the substance for humans, the institute said.

Due to this, the six major baby bottle makers in the United States agreed to stop using the chemical in May this year.