California Advisory Committee Requests More Information About Bisphenol A

The Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental and Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has reportedly asked OEHHA to further investigate the potential developmental and reproductive health effects of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). The committee voted against placing BPA on the state’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to the state to cause reproductive toxicity in a meeting held July 15, 2009.

According to a July 23 notice, the committee now seeks information regarding (i) “possible increased susceptibility for developmental toxicity from bisphenol A in subpopulations, for example in those with poor nutritional status for certain nutrients such as folic acid”; (ii) “evidence that bisphenol A exposures in utero or pre-conception may lead to precancerous lesions and eventually cancers (e.g., breast and prostate)”; (iii) “evidence for bisphenol A-induced developmental- or reproductive-related neurobehavioral effects, as these endpoints are further studied”; (iv) “evidence for effects on the immune system resulting from bisphenol A exposures during early development, as new information becomes available”; and (v) “evidence of bisphenol A-induced developmental and reproductive effects from epidemiologic studies, as new information becomes available.”