EPA Examining Environmental Impact of BPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in looking closely at the health and environmental effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor.

Although the greatest risk for human exposure to BPA is through canned food products, the chemical is also used in the manufacture of several types of building products (see EBN June 2008). While FDA is looking into the risks of BPA in the food supply, EPA will be looking at its dispersal into surface, ground, and drinking water.

The agency has added BPA to its list of chemicals of concern, and will be requiring manufacturers to provide data on the chemical’s potential effects on humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. More information is available at www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/bpa.html

– Allyson Wendt