WASHINGTON (AP) - Some Democratic lawmakers pushed Tuesday for a ban on a
chemical used in water bottles, canned food and other household items, despite
mixed opinions from government experts about the substance's possible risks.
Bisphenol A has been used to package food and make shatterproof bottles for
decades. But in recent years the plastic hardener has come under attack from
consumer groups, who point to animal studies showing it can cause developmental
problems and precancerous growths.
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said he would introduce a bill to ban the
chemical in all food and drink containers. Senate lawmakers already have drafted
a proposal that would go further, banning the substance from all food containers
and children's products.
Government scientists from various agencies gave mixed assessments of the
chemical's risks at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing. The
committee's top Democrats have been investigating the government's handling of
bisphenol and a related chemical family phthalates, which are used to soften
plastic.
The levels of bisphenol "from food contact materials, including exposures
for infants and children, are well below the levels that may cause health
effects," said Norris Alderson, the Food and Drug Administration's associate
director for science.
But the agency has agreed to reevaluate the chemical's safety after an April
report by government toxicology experts concluded there is "some concern" about
whether bisphenol can change infant's hormone levels, brain development and lead
to early puberty in girls.
In response to the report, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it planned to stop
selling baby bottles containing the chemical by early 2009.
Over 90 percent of Americans test positive for the chemical, which leaches
out of food containers, according to studies by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
The American Chemical Council, a trade group representing chemical makers,
told lawmakers that bisphenol and phthalates are "among the most well defined
chemicals on earth" and do not warrant safety restrictions.
Lawmakers pointed out, however, that the European Union and California have
restricted six types of pthalates over questions of whether they can cause
reproductive problems in children.
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