The Politics of Plastics: The Making and Unmaking of Bisphenol A "Safety"

Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical used in the production of plastics since the 1950s and a known endocrine disruptor, is a ubiquitous component of the material environment and human body. New research on very-low-dose exposure to BPA suggests an association with adverse health effects, includi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 2009-11, Vol.99 (S3), p.S559-S566
Main Author: Vogel, Sarah A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Pollutants, Occupational
Benzhydryl Compounds
Carcinogenicity Tests
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Endocrine Disruptors - administration & dosage
Endocrine Disruptors - adverse effects
Endocrine Disruptors - history
Framing Health Matters
Government Regulation
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
Occupational Exposure - legislation & jurisprudence
Occupational Health
Phenols - administration & dosage
Phenols - adverse effects
Phenols - history
Plastics - adverse effects
Plastics - history
Politics
United States
United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Food and Drug Administration
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Summary:Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical used in the production of plastics since the 1950s and a known endocrine disruptor, is a ubiquitous component of the material environment and human body. New research on very-low-dose exposure to BPA suggests an association with adverse health effects, including breast and prostate cancer, obesity, neurobehavioral problems, and reproductive abnormalities. These findings challenge the long-standing scientific and legal presumption of BPA's safety. The history of how BPA's safety was defined and defended provides critical insight into the questions now facing lawmakers and regulators: is BPA safe, and if not, what steps must be taken to protect the public's health? Answers to both questions involve reforms in chemical policy, with implications beyond BPA.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2008.159228