Abstract |
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume (HPV) chemical widely used in manufacturing polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins used in many industries. Humans appear to be exposed primarily through food packaging uses of products manufactured using BPA, although those products account for less than 5% of the BPA used in this country. Releases of BPA to the environment exceed one million pounds per year. EPA intends to consider initiating immediate actions addressing BPA in the environment based on concerns for potential effects in aquatic species. At the same time, EPA will continue to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to better determine and evaluate the human health consequences of BPA exposures. Based on the results of those efforts, EPA will consider whether further action is needed to address human health risks resulting from non-food-packaging uses of BPA. |