25.04.2008 at 08:00
- Category:
Cancer and Oncology
WASHINGTON -- A draft report from a U.S. government agency said exposure to bisphenol A in plastic may pose serious health risks.
The National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program urged further study of possible links between the chemical and breast cancer, prostate cancer, early puberty in girls and hyperactivity, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The Environmental Working Group, which had criticized a previous report that minimized the dangers of bisphenol A, said the new report corrects the scientific record. "The findings break new scientific ground, for the first time validating the results of tests conducted on animals at very low doses similar to those which people are exposed to," working group senior scientist Anila Jacob said in a statement.
The American Chemistry Council said the report "primarily highlights opportunities for additional research to better understand whether these findings are of any significance to human health."
"We strongly support scientific research on the safety of bisphenol A and have conducted extensive research ourselves for many years," Steven Hentges of the council's Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group said in a statement.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
