Clarifying BPA Information

CHERYL HOGUE'S ARTICLE, "New Leader Takes Over at NIEHS," was a very nice piece on my appointment as director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program (C&EN, Feb. 2, page 24). In the section on bisphenol A (BPA), there is a quote attributed to me that needs correction: "There is not enough around to make a difference at the current levels you see in the human population."

Actually, I believe it is not yet clear whether current levels of BPA in the general population are a problem. In fact, there is a lot of scientific information indicating that levels of BPA in Americans are similar to levels in experimental animals where biological effects of exposure have been reported.

Linda S. Birnbaum
Research Triangle Park, N.C.