Safety advocates applaud bill to reduce workers’ BPA exposure

Washington – New legislation that would eliminate the use of food and beverage containers made with bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) received praise from labor groups, who claim the chemical is hazardous to workers.

Introduced in the Senate on July 9, the Ban Poisonous Additives Act would ban the sale of BPA in reusable food and beverage containers, and prohibit containers made with BPA from being introduced into commerce.

The legislation would protect people who work in factories in which food containers are made and packed, bill sponsor Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said in a press release.

In a statement, leaders from the labor and environmental coalition group BlueGreen Alliance voiced support for the legislation, which they say will help eliminate worker exposure to a “harmful chemical.”

BPA is a chemical found in a variety of plastic products. Although the Food and Drug Administration asserts the chemical is safe, other research has linked BPA to negative health effects. Most recently, Duke University Medical Center researchers suggested in a study that BPA may increase the proliferation of breast cancer cells.