EPA Aids Work on Assessing 'BPA-Free' Safety

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) January 2 promoted work aided by its staff in assessing "BPA-Free" plastic substitutes. It noted that the work – with researchers in England – found varying safety for the chemicals used to replace BPA (bisphenol A).

The work was presented last year in the journal Toxicological Sciences (bit.ly/2EWI8zG). EPA wrote that in assessing the substitutes' toxicity:

"The researchers specifically tested the impact of these chemicals on estrogen receptor activity, which if altered could affect the body’s endocrine systems, with potentially serious consequences for fetuses, infants and young children. The team showed that some of the BPA alternatives were actually more potent than BPA itself in activating the estrogen receptor. These findings highlight the need for testing of replacement chemicals prior to their introduction into commerce to demonstrate that they are safer than the chemical being replaced."