EPA Scrutinizes BPA

On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency released a "BPA action plan" to look at the environmental impact of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics that's been hotly debated in the last few years due to studies linking it with health ailments from cancer to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This comes on the heels of the FDA's January announcement that it was concerned about BPA's impact on on human health and would take steps to investigate the chemical, which has shown up in everything from baby bottles to the lining inside cans of food.

'We share FDA’s concern about the potential health impacts from BPA,' said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 'Both EPA and FDA, and many other agencies are moving forward to fully assess the environmental and health impacts to ensure that the full range of BPA’s possible impacts are examined.'

The EPA's action plan includes adding BPA to the EPA's "chemical concern list;" "requiring manufacturers to provide test data to assist the agency in evaluating its possible impacts;" and investigating ways to reduce exposure to BPA. The agency says it will be working closely with the FDA, CDC, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to thoroughly research and assess risks associated with BPA.

Image source: Flickr member tiffanywashko under Creative Commons