BPA has had a lot of press about the dangers the use of the chemical might be exposing people to from plastic bottles. The EPA is seeking comments about plans to require more studies for the products that contain the material.

Bisphenol A is commonly called BPA (Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number 80-05-7), a high production volume chemical, is a reproductive, developmental and systemic toxicant in animal studies and is weakly estrogenic. The EPA is providing this Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) to request comment on requiring toxicity testing to determine the potential for BPA to cause adverse effects, including endocrine-related effects, in environmental organisms at low concentrations. The EPA also is seeking comment on requiring environmental testing consisting of sampling and monitoring for BPA in surface water, ground water, drinking water, soil, sediment, sludge and landfill leachate in the vicinity of expected BPA releases to determine whether environmental organisms may currently be exposed to concentrations of BPA in the environment that are at or above levels of concern for adverse effects, including endocrine-related effects. This ANPRM is directed only toward the environmental presence and environmental effects of BPA. The agency is working with the Department of Health and Human Services on potential human health issues, but is not considering any additional testing specifically in regard to human health issues at this time.

Comments must be received on or before Sept. 26, 2011. To read the announcement, please click on this link.