Bis-Phenol A (BPA) has been known ever since 1930's as an estrogenic substance but the world went ahead with its use in plastics like poly carbonates and epoxy resins without realizing its potential for harm to human health in a significant way. About 2.2 million tons of BPA are produced every year and used in different applications exposing humans to avoidable levels of risk. Most of the studies carried out during the last decade have brought out the presence of BPA in urine amongst more than 90% of the population in many western countries though how far this is able to cause damage is still not very clear. The present risk level for intake of BPA is about 50 ug per kg per day and possibly a stage has not reached yet to apprehend any major calamity. But the warnings are very clear that BPA can become a dangerously toxic substance which can get entry into the human body both through food as well as the environment. Here is the latest on BPA effect on humans.
"Men with high amounts of the controversial plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in their urine also tend to have impaired semen quality, a new study of factory workers in China reveals. The research, funded by the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, found high urine levels of BPA to be significantly associated with a drop in sperm concentration, overall sperm count, sperm vitality and sperm motility. Although prior work with mice and rats had uncovered troubling associations between BPA exposure and damage to the male reproductive system, the current finding is the first drawn from research involving people. "Compared with men without detectable urine BPA, those with detectable urine BPA had more than three times the risk of lowered sperm concentration and lower sperm vitality, more than four times the risk of a lower sperm count, and more than twice the risk of lower sperm motility," study lead author Dr. De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., said in a news release from the organization. BPA was not found, however, to have an impact upon either the shape of sperm or its volume, Li noted".
The findings above are very significant since this is the first time it has been shown that mere presence of BPA in urine at detectable levels can pose harm to human reproductive system and with today's advance instrumentation system levels as low as a few nano grams can be detected easily. Canada is one of the earliest to declare BPA as a toxic substance and there are several countries in advanced stage of banning BPA totally in foods. The tragedy is that children between the age 1-5 years have been found to have highest BPA levels in their system and what this means to their future when they grow up into adulthood is unknown. With 8 billion pounds of BPA being used every year currently, the prevarication by the policy makers in banning this toxic substance may prove to be very costly to their citizens.
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