Bisphenol A -- Here's where to learn more

Bisphenol A has generated a lot of concern _ and controversy _ in recent years.

The industry continues to maintain that it is safe, but more and more studies are identifying potential problems.

Today, Chemical and Engineering News, a publication that serves the chemical, life sciences and laboratory worlds, has made bisphenol A the focus of multiple stories. Reporter Stephen K. Ritter looks into the rift between safety assessments and the debate over toxicity.

He declares that such "polymer products are in a pickle. BPA is a versatile and valuable chemical building block that makers of high-performance plastics don't want to give up. But BPA is under intense scientific scrutiny for being an endocrine disruptor, and consumers are pressuring companies to find alternatives."

In another story, he looks at the exposure routes. BPA, as the chemical is also known, is in many hard, clear plastics. It also is in food and drink containers and even cash register receipts.

There's also a BPA chronology.

All are well worth reading for people who are concerned about this chemical.

For additional information, here's the EPA's website on bisphenol A.

In January, the Food and Drug Administration issued its own update on BPA. You can find it here.