CALIFORNIA may ban bisphenol A, a chemical found in some plastic
food packaging and bottles, from products intended for young
children. The proposed bill, introduced by assemblywoman Wilma
Chan, was scheduled to be debated on Tuesday. If passed, it will
be the first ban of its kind in the world. Over 2 million tonnes
of polycarbonate plastics are produced worldwide every year. The
plastics consist of chains of bisphenol A. As they break down,
BPA slowly leaches out. A paper to be published in Environmental
Health Perspectives (DOI: 10.1289/ehp.7713) claims there is
growing evidence that BPA can affect development because of its
similarity to the hormone oestrogen. Of 115 animal studies of
low doses of BPA, 94 report significant effects. These
experiments suggest it can cause everything from early sexual
maturity in females and low sperm count to hyperactivity and
loss of sex-related differences in behaviour - and at doses ...
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