Is bisphenol A safe?
That’s a controversial question. An FDA draft report issued in August 2008 says bisphenol A is safe at typical exposure levels from food and drink. But another government report, from the National Toxicology Program, doesn’t rule out safety risks and notes “some concern” about effects on the brain, prostate gland, and behavior in fetuses, infants, and children. The NTP’s report, issued in September 2008, also notes “minimal concern” about effects on the mammary gland, early female puberty, and reproductive effects in adults who work with bisphenol A, and “negligible concern” about fetal or neonatal death, birth defects, reduced birth weight or grown in babies born to women exposed to bisphenol A during pregnancy, and reproductive effects in adults who don’t work with bisphenol A. The American Chemistry Council, a trade group for the plastics industry, says bisphenol A is safe for typical consumer uses.
