Bisphenol A: Endocrine Disruptor Extraordinaire

Posted on Jan 27, 2009

Bisphenol A (BPA) was first synthesized before 1900, and has been known to act like estrogen since the 1930s.  Like so many now-commonplace chemicals, BPA's use began to rise starting in the 1950s.  Today, over 6 billion pounds of BPA are produced each year, making it one of the most highly produced plastics in the world.  BPA is used to make hard plastic (polycarbonate) used in baby bottles, toddler sippy cups, polycarbonate water bottles, eye glasses, CDs and DVDs, children's toys and more.  As an epoxy, BPA is used in food and beverage can linings, high-durability industrial paints, dental sealants, and glues.

Bisphenol A is found in over 95% of Americans at levels above those shown to cause health problems in laboratory studies.  Over the past decade, low-level exposure to BPA has been linked with many now-common ailments: breast cancer, prostate cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, spontaeous miscarriage, type 2 diabetes and obesity.   In 2007, thirty-eight leading scientific experts on bisphenol A issued a statement warning of the potential dangers posed by BPA.

Many companies are already making changes – WalMart and others have pledged to remove BPA baby bottles from store shelves, Nalgene has reformulated its water bottles, and there is a strong resurgence in use of glass baby bottles.

For the latest news about bisphenol A, go to Environmental Health News.