Bisphenol A: ANSES demonstrates potential health risks and confirms the need to reduce exposure

After three years of study, ANSES published the results of its assessment of the health risks associated with bisphenol A. This work is accompanied by three other reports: an inventory of potential alternatives to bisphenol A, a hazard assessment for other compounds of the class of bisphenols, and a report on the uncertainties surrounding endocrine disruptors.
This work was carried out as part of a multidisciplinary, adversarial collective expert appraisal, by a working group specifically focusing on endocrine disrupters, assisted by several of the Agency’s expert groups. It was based on a review of all the available international studies and the results of measurement campaigns conducted by the Agency on the presence of bisphenol A in different media to which the population may be exposed.
The Opinion published on 10 April 2013 confirms the health effects of bisphenol A as identified by the Agency in September 2011, particularly for pregnant women in terms of potential risks to the unborn child. For the first time, it takes into account an estimate of the population’s actual exposure to bisphenol A not only through food, but also by inhalation (via ambient air) and the dermal route (contact with consumer products). Food contributes over 80% of the population’s exposure. The main sources of dietary exposure are products packaged in cans , which account for around 50% of total dietary exposure. The Agency has also identified water distributed in refillable polycarbonate containers as a major source of exposure to bisphenol A (News Article ANSES, 9 April 2013).