IPEN featured in a letter to the editor of the Wall St. Journal: Endocrine Disruption and BPA Use

The preponderance of scientific evidence indicates that BPA presents a clear threat to public health.

February 18, 2015

As of 2014, nearly 100 epidemiological studies have been published linking BPA with human health problems, most notably disorders of reproduction, behavior and energy balance, according to the introductory guide to endocrine-disrupting chemicals published by the Endocrine Society and IPEN.

Despite this, the FDA continues to judge BPA using standards that have little relevance to endocrine disrupters. Unlike poisons, endocrine disrupters can have different—and often more insidious—effects at low levels of exposure. The chemicals mimic, block or interfere with the body’s own hormones. Tiny amounts of these chemical messengers are enough to trigger significant biological changes, including birth defects during crucial stages of development.

The Teeguarden study cited in your editorial wasn’t designed the same way as past animal studies and may have missed signs of immediate BPA absorption. Regardless of whether people digest BPA or absorb it in other ways, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have estimated that more than 96% of Americans have BPA in their bodies.

Finding a smoking gun linking a specific chemical to a particular disease is challenging because scientists cannot ethically expose humans to a toxic chemical. However, a wealth of evidence supports a direct link between BPA and a variety of health problems.

Regulators need to take into account the risks of low-dose exposure, particularly on unborn children, to effectively evaluate the dangers BPA poses.