In an article published October 14, 2014 the news provider Environmental Health News reports that manufacturing plants emitted about 26 tons of bisphenol A (BPA) in 2013. BPA is a high production volume chemical used as a monomer in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy coatings. 72 U.S. factories reported emissions to the EPA. The largest emitters are located in Ohio, Indiana and Texas, U.S. according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report. Metal manufacturers and metal fabricating accounted for 21 and 20 percent of the reported emissions. Further, 3313 pounds of BPA were reported to be released to surface waters. Bruce Blumberg, professor at the University of California in Irvine, U.S., states in the article that inhalation of compounds is an exposure route usually not considered for BPA. The industry association American Chemistry Council asserted in a statement that there is no evidence inhalation exposures are of concern. Wade Welshons, associate professor at the University of Missouri, U.S. opposes that airborne BPA could be absorbed through the lungs as well as the skin and would could bypass liver metabolization. Currently, airborne exposure is not widely discussed, but should be, contends Laura Vandenberg, assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, U.S.. Blumberg concludes that air monitoring should be extended to test for BPA.
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Brian Bienkowski (October 14, 2014). “BPA in the air: manufacturing plants in Ohio, Indiana, Texas are top emitters.” Environmental Health News.
