Bisphenol A & Phthalates: Uses, Health Effects & Environmental Risks

Bisphenol A is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. Suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, causing some retailers to remove products made of it from their shelves. Additionally, phthalates, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticisers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). They are primarily used to soften polyvinyl chloride. This book examines both bisphenol A and phthalates discussing and presenting numerous topical and related data on these compounds and their uses, health effects and environmental risks.