What Is BPA?

Understanding the Health and Safety Risks of Bisphenol A

NOTICE: Baum Hedlund is no longer accepting cases related to BPA. We have continued to maintain this page in the interest of public health and safety.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been recently thrust into the public spotlight because of its possible links to serious health issues. As you may know, Bisphenol A is a building block of polycarbonate plastic and it is everywhere. In fact, the chemical can be found in a slew of consumer products ranging from sports equipment to compact disks to baby formula. Chances are, the chemical is a big part of your everyday life. But what exactly is BPA? What is it made of? Where did it come from and what does it do?

BPA FAQs: Who, What, When, Where, and Why

What Is Bisphenol A?

BPA is a synthetic chemical compound used to form a type of plastic. BPA is actually the key monomer used in the production of polycarbonate (PC) plastic and epoxy resin found in the lining of canned goods. PC plastic is hard and often shatter-proof. It is used in a wide range of consumer products such as water bottles, food storage containers, medical devices, CDs and baby bottles. Epoxy resin is found in the coating inside of almost all food and beverage cans.

What many people don’t know is that BPA mimics the hormone estrogen. It is what is known as an endocrine (or hormone) disrupting chemical. The endocrine system is the body’s finely tuned network of hormones and glands that control the development of the brain, the reproductive system and many other delicate systems.

Hormone disruptors (AKA endocrine disruptors), such as BPA, are substances that can interfere with the normal functioning of the hormone (or endocrine) system by duplicating, blocking or exaggerating hormonal responses. This can produce a wide range of adverse effects including reproductive, developmental and behavioral problems.

When Was BPA Invented?

BPA was thrust into the limelight in the recent years but the chemical has actually been around for about 120 years. BPA was first synthesized by chemists in 1891. In the late 1930’s, scientists discovered that BPA acted as an artificial estrogen. The estrogen impostor would have been used as a pharmaceutical hormone, but a more potent synthetic estrogen called DES was invented, precluding the use of BPA. In what should have been a warning signal to the potential toxicity of BPA, DES was taken off the market when it was linked to reproductive cancers in babies born to mothers taking the chemical.

The use of BPA in plastics would not take place for another twenty years. In the 1950’s BPA began to appear in plastic consumer products throughout the world. For over 60 years, BPA has been used in the manufacturing of plastic without any law or regulation establishing its safety. In fact, although the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed by congress in 1976, it labeled BPA a “grandfather” chemical which means is was never evaluated and presumed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Where Is BPA Found?