High concernOther
Bisphenol A
Endocrine disruptorReproductive toxicant
What it is
A phenolic compound used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy can linings.
What it does
Building block for hard clear plastics (bottles, containers) and internal coating of metal food cans.
Why it’s a concern
EFSA set a tolerable daily intake of 0.2 ng/kg body weight per day in 2023, based principally on an immune endpoint in mice. That precautionary limit is not a proven human-disease boundary. FDA has not adopted it and continues to consider currently approved US food-contact uses safe. NHANES 2013-2014 detected BPA in 95.7% of tested US urine samples, which shows recent exposure rather than harm.
Also known as
BPA2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane
CAS numbers
80-05-7
Commonly found in
polycarbonate bottlescanned food liningthermal receipt paper
Safer alternatives
- glass containers
- stainless steel
- BPA-free epoxy (with caveats)
Related chemical families
Sources
- ECHA SVHC Decision 2017
- Environment Canada Screening Assessment