Battle Over Bisphenol

On Monday, the federal Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction started reviewing the
first draft of its own report on bisphenol A, an everyday chemical that mimics estrogen and has been linked to cancer and reproductive disorders.

The report was prepared for CERHR by Sciences International, a private consulting firm contracted to perform much of the Center's scientific heavy lifting. But Sciences International, it turns out, is funded by chemical manufacturers, including makers of bisphenol A.

The role of Sciences International in the federal center'swork came to the attention of Environmental Working Group, a nonprofitadvocacy group focused on environmental health, last month after somescientists who saw the report on BPA complained that it was biasedtoward the industry's position that low doses have no effect.

"We are unaware of any other instance in which nearly all of thefunctions of a public health agency have been outsourced to a privateentity," wrote Richard Wiles, the working group's executive director[....]

Debate over BPA is one of the most contentious environmental healthissues faced by government and industry. Traces are found in the bodiesof nearly all Americans tested, and low levels — similar to amountsthat can leach from infant and water bottles — mimic estrogen and havecaused genetic changes in animals that lead to prostate cancer, as wellas decreased testosterone, low sperm counts and signs of early femalepuberty, according to more than 100 government-funded studies. About adozen industry-funded studies found no effects.

Public health agency linked to chemical industry [Los Angeles Times]