The chemical industry has long insisted that bisphenol A levels in people are so low as to not be a concern. But a new assessment has found the estrogen-like chemical used to make plastic is present in humans at levels similar to those shown to be harmful in animal experiments.
The assessment, appearing in the current edition of the journal Reproductive Toxicology, is likely to raise further health concerns about the controversial chemical. Although bisphenol A has been known for decades to act like a hormone, companies have been using it to make everything from polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and office water jugs to dental sealants and the resin linings on the insides of most tin cans…