Cal-EPA signals 'intent to list' plastics chemical under Prop. 65
The California Environmental Protection Agency signaled intent to add bisphenol A (BPA) to the state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects, adding to evidence the chemical should be banned from food and beverage containers.
Cal-EPA said BPA "appears to meet the criteria for listing as known to the State to cause reproductive toxicity" under the state's landmark toxics law, Proposition 65. Once BPA is listed, manufacturers and retailers may have to disclose the presence of BPA in products sold in California.
BPA is a synthetic estrogen used in hard plastic food and beverage containers, including some water and baby bottles and sippy cups, and the lining of food cans. BPA leaches into food and beverages and moves quickly into the body. More than 200 scientific studies show that low-dose exposure to BPA is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects including breast cancer, infertility, early puberty in girls, diabetes and obesity.
"Cal-EPA is joining the National Toxicology Program and many independent scientists concerned about BPA's toxicity," said Gretchen Lee Salter of the Breast Cancer Fund. "The science is clear: BPA is a powerful chemical that can harm the developing fetus, increasing risk for breast cancer. A Prop. 65 listing will be one more nail in the coffin of this highly toxic chemical."