Challenges to regulate products containing bisphenol A: Implications for policy

Abstract

Desafíos para regular los productos que contienen bisfenol A: implicaciones para la política. Salud Publica Mex. 2019;61:692-697. https://doi. AbstractBisphenol A (BPA), found in plastics and epoxy resins, is one of the most studied chemicals. BPA is regarded as an endocrine disruptor and has been related to adverse health effects in humans. However, some regulatory agencies around the world have concluded that BPA is safe at current human exposure levels. As the scientific community attempts to settle the debate on BPA's health effects, regulatory agencies have been put into a challenging public health policy situation. The United States has implemented no regulatory actions due to safety concerns, while Europe has used the precautionary principle to guide its regulation in the face of scientific uncertainty. In this paper, we explore the debate surrounding BPA regulation and the possibility for countries to introduce guidelines, using Mexico as an example. Policy change determinants analysis suggest that countries can and should impose regulations on BPA.

Determination of Bisphenol Analogues in Infant Formula Products from India and Evaluating the Health Risk in Infants Asssociated with Their Exposure

“…Owing to a structural similarity to BPA, various bisphenol analogues have shown comparable or even more potent endocrine-disrupting activity than BPA . However, at present reference values, such as specific migration limit and/or TDI values, have been defined only for BPA and BPS. , Therefore, the occurrence of BPA and other bisphenol analogues in infant formula should be routinely examined to ensure the safety of the infants. Thorough investigations on other bisphenol analogues, such as constant biomonitoring and health hazard potential in human population, are urgently required so that regulatory guidelines on their occurrence in food, migration limits from packaging material, and tolerable daily intake (TDI) values can be properly defined.…”

“…Considering all of the approaches, both mean and 95th percentile, the dietary exposure to total BPs for infants through infant formula estimated in the present study was approximately 1−2 orders of magnitude lower than the reference values of BPA set by EFSA (4 μg/kg b.w./day) and US EPA (50 μg/kg b.w./day), thus, posing no considerable risks to infants. 27,65,70,71 The HQ value obtained for BPA, BPS, and BPZ was found to be less than 1 which also indicated that the exposure of these bisphenols presents no apparent risk to infants through consumption of powdered formula. However, this is not a tranquillizing situation as BPA and its analogues even at low doses may produce serious health problems in infants.…”

Origin, dietary exposure, and toxicity of endocrine-disrupting food chemical contaminants: A comprehensive review

“…The substance 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane ( Fig. 2 ), usually known as Bisphenol A (BPA), is an EDCs that is used widely as a chemical compound in the production of plenty of polymeric materials, including polycarbonate plastics, the epoxy resins that are used in food containers [ [74] , [75] , [76] ].…”

“…The content of microplastics in food enhances the release of BPA in human tissues [ 86 , 87 ]. The limit of migration of BPA from plastics in contact with food has been set according to the EFSA (0.6 mg kg −1 ), which is reduced from 0.6 to 0.05 mg kg −1 in the 2018 revision [ 74 , 76 ].…”

An overview of the occurrence, fate, and human risks of the bisphenol‐A present in plastic materials, components, and products

“…The increasing demand for BPA by several end‐users is mainly driven by the automotive industry (e.g., manufacture of automobile headlights, bumpers, and dashboards) and manufacture of machinery and electronic components (Research and Markets, 2021b). The main reason BPA is still widely used is due to the misalignment between policies, technological innovation, and economic interests of the BPA and plastics production industries (Mandel et al, 2020), and scientific evidence on the implications of BPA, mainly controlled by the interests of powerful stakeholders (i.e., BPA producers and brand owners of plastic MCPs) (Gerassimidou et al, 2021).…”