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Chemistry War Zone
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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigates the debate over the safety of Bisphenol A, a commonly used chemical which is known to cause health problems in lab animals.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008:
In the News: The first large human study of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposures finds adults exposed to higher amounts of BPA were more likely to report having heart disease and diabetes. In a meeting of its science advisory board yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration maintained that BPA is safe. Read about the latest research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and updates on the controversy over BPA from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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Monday, August 18, 2008:
In the News: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs in on the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA). Read the latest from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the FDA's draft report.
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Monday, July 14, 2008: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the EPA's registry of common chemicals gives preferential treatment to the chemical industry.  The most recent example: a widely used flame retardant. Read the lastest from the "Chemical Fallout" team.
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Thursday, June 19, 2008:
Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's latest coverage here:
Panel minimizes some concerns over bisphenol A
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Friday, June 6, 2008:
On the Moyer's Blog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters answer your questions about what the European Union is doing about Bisphenol A, where the $80 million spent so far on the EPA's endocrine disruptors program has gone, and what plastics contain Bisphenol A. Read more here about limiting your exposure to BPA.
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Friday, May 23, 2008:
This week on Exposé: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters examine the lack of progress in the Environmental Protection Agency's Endocrine Disruptors Screening Program and do their own analysis of the science at the center of the battle over Bisphenol A (BPA). The commonly used chemical is known as an endocrine disruptor, and has been shown to cause health problems in lab animals. BPA, which is found in household plastics and the linings of metal cans, leaches from those products into our food and drink; a recent Center for Disease Control study found the chemical in 93% of the people it tested.  Read the original 2-part series, "Chemical Fallout," which has won reporters Susanne Rust, Meg Kissinger and Cary Spivak awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of American Business Writers. You can ask the reporters about their investigation by submitting questions to the Blog on the Bill Moyers Journal site.

Follow the new developments as Congress considers banning BPA in children's products and overhauling the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). And you might want to learn about a recent decision in California. The state -- bypassing the federal government altogether -- has banned certain endocrine disruptors known as phthalates from use in children's toys. Watch NOW's "Toxic Toys?" for more on this story.

Since the Journal Sentinel came out with its story in late 2007, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has decided to do some investigating of its own.  After making initial inquiries to manufacturers about their use of Bisphenol A in baby products, the committee has widened its investigation into "the industry's use of consulting firms . . .  to manipulate public opinion related to certain chemicals." Consultants attempt to influence the public by using so-called "product defense" strategies. For more on this, watch Exposé's "Science Fiction."

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