Chemical industry expects BPA sales to increase over next six years

(http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/12/bpa-sales-increase) According to MotherJones.com, a report by Transparency Market Research shows that the chemical industry expects bispehnol A (BPA) sales to increase by 44 percent by 2019. BPA, which the FDA recently banned from baby bottles (after manufacturers already phased it out), is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that is used to help preserve canned foods and make plastics more flexible. BPA has been linked to changes in sex hormones, lower sperm counts, tooth decay, obesity in children and other health concerns. It also affects the brain and nervous system and can cause early onset of puberty. The dangerous chemical's effects have been observed at extremely low levels enocountered on a daily basis.

With all the horrible news coming out about BPA, it would make sense for it to be phased out and banned, but a report recieved by Tom Philpott of MotherJones.com shows that the chemical industry actually expects sales to increase, from $13.1 billion this year to $18.8 billion in 2019. The report detailed "steady growth" in BPA consumption, mainly due to "increasing demand in the Asia-Pacific region." Lately, China's BPA production and use has "grown rapidly," and "much more BPA contamination" is expected there in the near future. After Asia and Europe, North America is the "third largest regional market for BPA," but consumption is now growing "at a very slow rate," so the report's authors expect a "slight decline" in North American BPA consumption by 2019.

The three companies that are expected to profit the most from the health-destroying chemical are Bayer, Dow and Saudi Basic Industries Corp.