The National Toxicology Program (NTP) today released a draft evaluation of the widespread chemical, bisphenol A, becoming the first federal agency in the world to express concern regarding this chemical’s potential to cause harm to fetuses, infants and children. 

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical used in many consumer products, including polycarbonate plastics (ie. hard clear plastic bottles), the lining of food and beverage cans, and dental sealants. It is a high production volume chemical with approximately 2.3 billion pounds produced in the US in 2004. The large production volume and use in common consumer products means that we’re all exposed to the stuff. BPA has been detected in 93% of over 2,500 urine samples collected by the Centers for Disease Control.  BPA has been measured in all human biological fluids, including blood, urine, breast milk, and amniotic fluid.  

NTP states that there is “clear evidence” that at high doses bisphenol A is a developmental toxin, capable of causing death in newborn animals, reduced growth in the womb and in early life, and changes in the age of puberty. This will likely be enough to trigger listing of bisphenol A on California’s list of chemicals recognized by the state to cause developmental or reproductive harm. That would mean that – at least in California – consumers would need to be informed when they are exposed to this chemical, and the chemical would be banned from discharge into sources of drinking water. NTP also expresses some concern that current levels of exposure to bisphenol A can cause changes in behavior and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland, and the age at which females attain puberty in fetuses, infants and children.  

Chemical evaluations from the National Toxicology Program are used by state and federal regulators to set clean up and exposure standards. Other agencies have relied on industry studies that downplay the health risks of this chemical, In fact, the NTP was heavily criticized by NRDC and other groups for hiring a consultant with conflicts of interest to prepare the original draft, and about inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the characterization of the science in prior drafts. In this final version, NTP has incorporated independent studies of this chemical instead of relying just on the industry reports.

According to my colleague, Sarah Janssen, a physician and reproductive biologist who is an expert on endocrine disruptors: “This is the first government agency to affirm that this chemical is a problem for developing children, which is something we’ve been suspecting for years.” She added “NTP should finalize this report quickly and the government should take action to protect public health.” I completely agree.

The PDF version of the report is available here.