PORTLAND — An environmental group in Maine has released a report it says documents the dangers of the chemical bisphenol A.

The Toxics Action Center released the report in Portland today, eight days before the Maine Board of Environmental Protection holds a public hearing on a proposed rule calling for a ban on the use of bisphenol A, or BPA, in reusable food and beverage containers.

The report is a compilation of studies published between January and July. According to the report, 75 of the 81 studies that were looked at indicated that BPA is associated with a number of health problems ranging from diabetes and memory loss to liver damage and cancer.

BPA is commonly used in making plastics shatterproof and to line food cans.