Occurrence of bisphenol A and its effects on the human body

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a key component of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, which are widely used for production of food storage containers and numerous other products, including contact lenses, protective glasses , infant incubators, CDs and DVDs. Moreover, BPA is an additive in the production of dental composites, paints, fungicidal and inflammability reducing agents. Bisphenol A primarily gets to the human body from food products kept in BPA containers. The other important sources of BPA are thermal printing paper tickets and receipts, contaminated water, air and dust. Study findings have confirmed its presence in all body fluids (follicular and amniotic fluids, umbilical blood, milk, urine, foetal serum) as well as numerous tissues and organs (placenta). Bisphenol A can cause various conditions, e.g. cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory failure, breast cancer, endometriosis, developmental disorders or autoimmune diseases. The permissible dose of BPA, which can be absorbed within 24 hours, is 0.05mg/kg body weight. The materials containing BPA are found worldwide, particularly in quickly developing countries; due to its health-related risks, bisphenol A should be monitored in all elements of natural environment and BPA-containing products.