Greening the Supply Chain Series: Bisphenol A (BPA) in Medical Products: Responding to Health Concerns

Overview

Session Description

What is Bisphenol A (BPA) and why should you care? Over the last few years, a lot of attention has been paid to the use of BPA in production of plastics and resins, such as water bottles and baby bottles and as a resin lining for tinned food and beverage cans. BPA is also used in thermal paper (receipts, EKG printouts, etc), compact discs, eye glasses and other consumer products. Some animal studies show a potential for multiple health problems including reproductive disorders, diabetes and cardiovascular disease; whereas other studies show no adverse effects on these endpoints from BPA exposure.

This webinar will address some of the confusion around BPA and provide guidance in the face of uncertainty. Technical experts will provide the latest information on BPA, where it can be found in health care products, how to understand where there are health risks, and how to avoid them. U.S. EPA’s Design for the Environment Program will share results from a study of alternatives to BPA for thermal paper applications, and lessons learned about supply chain communication. Johnson & Johnson will present a BPA decision tree that can be used to evaluate potential patient exposure to BPA from medical devices that are made from polycarbonate plastic.

Practice Greenhealth’s Standardized Environmental Questions for Medical Products, endorsed by five GPOs, includes a question on BPA as a chemical of concern. This webinar will provide an opportunity to understand why this environmental attribute is of concern to health care.

Learning Objectives

Learn where BPA can be found in health care products and the latest information on alternatives
Understand why BPA is present in polycarbonate medical devices
Consider how supply chain communication can be improved to promote informed decision-making
Understand what BPA levels in polycarbonate plastic medical devices mean in the context of potential risk to the patient

Presenter

Cal Baier-Anderson, Toxicologist, Design for the Environment Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Caroline (Cal) Baier-Anderson is a Toxicologist with the US Environmental Protection Agency, Design for the Environment Program. The Design for the Environment Program helps stakeholders identify less hazardous chemicals for use in consumer and industrial products. Prior to this position, she served as a health scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund and a part-time Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Cal earned a Ph.D. in Toxicology in 1999 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, after which she served as a technical advisor to communities living adjacent to hazardous waste sites through EPA-funded community assistance programs. Additional work experience includes risk assessment and risk communication consulting.

Dan Caldwell, Fellow, Environmental Toxicology, Johnson & Johnson
Dr. Caldwell is a Fellow, Environmental Toxicology in the Worldwide Environment, Health, and Safety Department of Johnson & Johnson. His major areas of responsibility are development of guidelines and standards for impact assessment of environmental exposure to ingredients, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, including nanomaterials, and facilitating the Johnson & Johnson Emerging Issues Task Force. He is an adjunct assistant professor of environmental engineering at Temple University, is certified by the American Board of Toxicology (DABT), the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (CIH), and is the author of over 40 publications on human and environmental effects of chemicals. Dan holds a B.S. in Environmental Health from the East Tennessee State University, M.S. in Business Administration from Boston University, M.H.S. in Occupational Safety and Health from The John Hopkins University, and Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Pittsburgh.