Bisphenol A

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical used in polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and thermal paper. It is one of the most commonly produced chemicals worldwide. BPA is ubiquitous within the environment and it is estimated that > 90% of people have detectable levels of BPA in their urine. BPA is an environmental health concern due to its widespread exposure as well as its potential toxicity. BPA is an endocrine disruptor which acts as an estrogen mimic. Evidence suggests that BPA affects circulating hormone levels, cardiovascular health, obesity, reproductive health in both males and females, hormone-driven cancers and neurobehavioral development in children. The prenatal period appears to be a particularly sensitive window of exposure for BPA, and BPA has been demonstrated to have non-monotonic dose response curves. Both of these features have posed a challenge to risk assessors; efforts to assess risk of BPA exposure in both Europre and the United States are ongoing. Meanwhile, other bisphenol compounds have started to replace BPA in global commerce. These replacement compounds are suspected to have similar toxicity to BPA, but comprehensive assessment of these newer compounds is ongoing.