Environmental Safety

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an important industrial chemical that is used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, both of which are used in a wide variety of applications. Although the vast majority of BPA is converted at manufacturing sites into products, low-level releases of BPA to the environment are possible.

Numerous validated studies have been completed to determine what happens to BPA in the environment ("environmental fate") and the possible impacts ("environmental assessment"). Recent comprehensive reviews of these studies (Staples et al, 1998; Staples et al, 2002) conclude that current manufacturing and use patterns of BPA pose virtually no risk to the environment.