must prepare and implement a pollution prevention plan in relation to the release of BPA in
effluents. Pollution prevention planning is a systematic, comprehensive method of identifying
and implementing pollution prevention options
to minimize or avoid the creation of pollutants
or waste.
In addition to
the adoption of
restrictive measures,
some jurisdictions
are conducting
research on
alternatives.
Measures restricting the use of bisphenol
A are also being adopted in Asia. Beginning
1 July 2012, businesses in South Korea have
been prohibited from manufacturing, importing
or selling infant feeding bottles containing BPA.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration referenced the movements to prohibit the use of
BPA in infant feeding bottles in other countries,
such as the EU and Canada, as a reason for
making the amendments.
In addition to the adoption of restrictive
measures, some jurisdictions are conducting research on alternatives. On 11 December 2012,
the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released a private report detailing a
Bisphenol-A Alternatives Analysis. The report
focused on the use of bisphenol A in children’s
products. It indicated that polyethylene is a preferred alternative to packaging that uses a lining
made from bisphenol A due to its inexpensiveness and the fact that there are no health implications from its use. DEP has already banned
the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy
Enhesa Flash Feb/Mar 2014
cups. It has proposed a rule that would ban the
use of bisphenol A in containers for formula and
food for babies and toddlers.
EPA Action
Legislation in 1996 resulted in the creation
of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program
(EDSP). The EDSP was established under
Section 408(p) of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which requires EPA to
develop a chemical screening program using
appropriate validated test systems and other
information to determine whether certain substance may have hormonal effects. The EDSP
Endocrine disruptors like BPA have been linked
to birth defects in frogs, fish and humans alike.
uses a two-tiered approach. Tier 1 screening
identifies substances that have the potential to
interact with the endocrine system (in particular, the estrogen, androgen, or thyroid hormone
systems). Substances that do have the potential to interact with these hormone systems may
proceed to Tier 2 screening, which is designed
to identify any adverse endocrine-related effects caused by the substance.
The EPA issued final policies and procedures in June 2013 for requiring Tier 1 screening
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