What is Bisphenol A or BPA?

Bisphenol A (BPA), a man made chemical, was discovered to be a synthetic version of the hormone estrogen in 1936. Its proposed usage was for help with difficult pregnancies but was replaced when DES, a similar chemical, was found to be more effective. After being given to millions of women, DES was later banned when it was found to cause serious and rare forms of cancer in daughters of DES pregnancies. Hormone-mimicking BPA, is now used as a building block in the creation of clear hard plastics.