US report calls for more bisphenol A scrutiny

15 April 2008 22:50  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA) could lead to health problems and reproductive defects in humans, according to a draft report released on Tuesday by the US National Toxicology Program.

The draft report  by the National Toxicology Program, a part of the National Institutes of Health, says that while high doses of BPA clearly lead to health problems, more thorough study was needed on the effects of dosages lower than 5 parts per million. The draft is subject to a peer review process before it is finalised. 

“Recognising the lack of data on the effects of BPA in humans and despite the limitations in the evidence for ‘low’ dose effects in laboratory animals, the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed,” the report said.

The draft report was released on the same day of a news media report that said Canada’s food and health regulation agency may classify BPA as a dangerous substance.

The American Chemistry Council said it believes BPA to be safe at the levels ingested by most consumers.

“The limited evidence for effects in laboratory animals at low doses primarily highlights opportunities for additional research to better understand whether these findings are of any significance to human health,” the group said in a statement.

BPA is commonly used in polycarbonate (PC) production. In 2004, the US produced more than 1m tonnes of the material, most of which was used in polycarbonate plastics and resins.

US Representative John Dingell (Democrat-Michigan), used the draft report to again push the FDA to review its stance on BPA. A US House committee is probing the FDA’s determination that BPA is safe.

For more information on BPA and PC, visit ICIS Chemical Intelligence

By: Ben Lefebvre
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