WASHINGTON — Recent efforts to eliminate the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from polycarbonate plastic bottles are gaining momentum, according to an April 28 article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), a weekly magazine published by the American Chemical Society.

The effort could have an impact on the bottled water industry, which, among other things, distributes water in BPA-containing polycarbonate plastic bottles used in home and office coolers. Bottled water industry spokespersons say there is as yet no scientific evidence showing that BPA could be a health threat.

The C&EN article cites activity on a number of fronts, including these:

● US Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, says he plans to introduce legislation to ban BPA in all children’s products and “food contact” containers, such as water bottles.

● Canada is moving to set exposure limits on BPA, especially targeting polycarbonate baby bottles. Canadian officials say that although BPA exposure levels to newborns and infants with such bottles is below that which would cause health effects, they want to be “better safe than sorry,” as Minister of Health Anthony Clement put it. A study cited in Canada said BPA is not a concern for adults but may pose a risk for newborns and infants.

● Nalgene, a major manufacturer of polycarbonate water bottles, said it will stop using BPA in its products, and said it has introduced a new line of bottles made with a copolyester called Tritan, produced by Eastman Chemical.

● Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, will stop stocking baby products containing BPA immediately in Canada and next year in the United States.

● Toys ‘R’ Us, the big toy retailer, is also phasing BPA out of its products.

Chemical & Engineering News says that polycarbonate resins account for about three-fourths of US demand for BPA, with high-performance coatings making up the rest.

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