It's not much, but it's a start. BPA is used in countless products despite concerns about its safety for humans. Industry has been looking for alternatives for years though to date, nothing her emerged. This may be the shot across the bow that pushes them to speed up their research.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it is formally listing Bisphenol A -- a chemical found widely in consumer goods -- as a "chemical of concern."
The chemical is added to plastics to harden them, and has been used in soda cans, baby bottles and food containers. It is so widespread that 90 percent of Americans show traces of it in their urine. But, in recent years, studies have linked BPA to heart disease and cancer in humans, and to abnormal development in animals.
In January, the Food and Drug Administration said it had concerns about the chemical's effect on human health.
