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Although regulatory authorities in the United States, most of Europe, Australia, and Japan have approved as safe the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA)--ubiquitous in plastic products and the lining of metal cans--controversy remains over its potential health effects when found in low doses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expressed "some concern" about its potential impact on early development in children and has authorized further studies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently classified BPA as a "chemical of concern" because of its impact on the environment. Additional research efforts, as well as "precautionary" regulatory actions, are underway in numerous jurisdictions, including in the U.S. Congress. At this conference, policy experts and scientists participated in a nonpartisan dialogue about the risks and benefits of using, or choosing not to use, BPA and whether a more precautionary approach should be adopted in regulating chemicals.
