Endocrine Disruptor: Bisphenol A
Introduction: What is BPA? Endocrine disruptors have the ability to enhance or suppress the functions of hormones by mimicking their shape and binding to the appropriate receptor. They also have the capability to change the structure and activity of the endocrine system, potentially causing various adverse effects to the body. One of the most prevalent and dangerous endocrine disruptors is Bisphenol A, or BPA. Bisphenol A is an organic compound with a structure and function similar to that of the hormone estrogen (Kundakovic and Champagne, 2011).
Where can BPA be found? Annually, approximately 2 billion pounds of BPA is manufactured in the United States, making it ubiquitous in our everyday lives. BPA is a major component of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate is most prevalent in materials used for packaging food and drink, such as “microwave-safe” tupperware and baby bottles. Resins are used in materials for the protective lining of metal water pipes and food and drink containers, such as cans used for fruit and vegetables. BPA can also be found in dental supplies, medical supplies, and children’s toys. When these everyday items are washed, sterilized, or heated, BPA leaches out of the material and into the food to be consumed. Even small amounts of exposure to BPA have been proven to cause adverse effects in humans and animals (Erler and Novak 2010).
What is the mechanism of BPA? BPA can act as an estrogen receptor
The overall food contamination by Bisphenol A is unknown, but the nutrition/ health impact of this chemical is an important subject to be discussed for all individuals. The main aim of one study recently analyzed was to assess the reproductive impact of BPA leached from regularly available polycarbonate plastic containers. The bottles specifically chosen for testing were those that were used by children. The migration of BPA occurs in polycarbonate plastics (i.e. water bottles and baby bottles). Toxicology reports show society the importance of evaluating these products before purchase and consumption as a consumer. For a particular experiment, researchers used Daphnia Magna, a small flea that cleans and absorbs particles that infect the solution they are placed in, and bred them in the polycarbonate containers. A control group was created using water bottles without the infection of these creatures. A GC-MS machine to detect the level of BPA released by each polycarbonate plastic then evaluated the water. An increase in the reproduction of BPA was detected when the Daphnia Magna were bred inside the container. Although these organisms effected the leaching of Bisphenol A, the GC-MS was able to detect, through the control group, that BPA is released without DM. An Eco toxicological effect was observed through all of this testing, and provided evidence to substantiate the fact that Bisphenol A is leached from polycarbonate plastics. The BPA was further analyzed in the Daphnia
A “commodity chemical,” BPA is widely used in consumer products, and therefore is produced on a large scale. It is composed of two polymers: acetone and phenol. The two primary uses of BPA are for polycarbonate plastics (approximately 74% of its application) and epoxy resins (about 20%) (Ritter). Polycarbonates are manufactured by the combination of phosgene (COCl₂) and BPA (C15H16O2 ), and epoxy resins are made by combining BPA and epichlorohydrin (C3H5ClO). When unpolymerised epoxy compounds leach into food through packaging or come into contact with human skin through contact with cash register receipt tapes, for example, the estrogen-mimicking effects of the compounds have the potential to interfere with the normal function of
The above research shows that endocrine disruptors may pose the greatest risk during prenatal and early postnatal development when organ and neural systems are developing. Additionally, the consequences in animals linked to early exposure may not be apparent until later in life, but EDC’s can affect subfertility, premature reproductive senescence, and cancer. These issues are our greatest concern, and alternative precautionary strategies must be adopted, which including seeking to eliminate or minimize unnecessary risks to the fetus, even in the absence of clear proof of harm. Some of these steps can be taken by individuals, such as lifestyle changes in women who are pregnant, and reducing exposures through the release of chemicals to the environment. However, clinicians and scientist must educate law officials and the public about the threats of endocrine disruptors in order to adverse the trends of disease and destruction throughout the
A large amount of BPA has been removed from water bottles as well as baby bottles.
In his article, “Why the FDA Hasn’t Banned Potentially Toxic BPA (Yet),” Bryan Walsh seeks to explain the reasons why the FDA hasn’t banned a possibly dangerous chemical from consumers products. Biomonitoring makes looking for microscopic-level doses of chemicals in the body possible. One of them, Bisphenol-A, or BPA for short, is used to harden polycarbonate plastics and manufacture epoxy resin, which are found in everyday products. BPA poses a threat to human health since it disturbs the endocrine systems in our body; which can lead to cancer, heart disease, and other life-threatening diseases. However, the FDA refuses to ban the chemical due to studies having a lack of research done on actual humans, but the NRDC argues that it is hard for
and Europe manufactured approximately 5 million tons of products with BPA in 2015, says Science Daily. That's why researchers like Wayne recommend swapping plastic with glass as much as possible. But, hey, realistically we already know that plastic products aren't harmless: We're headed towards having more plastic, by weight, than fishes in our oceans by 2050. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/24/oceans-more-plastic-than-fish/79267192/ Not to mention, the effects that chemicals like BPA have on our wildlife and environment are largely unknown; a 2012 study suggests, "Due to its environmental ubiquity, organisms may be exposed to BPA chronically or during sensitive life stages," says Science Direct. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479712001405 Glass and these other good
There are a lot of problems with using plastic water bottles. One of those problems is Bisphenol A (BPA). A lot of health problems have been heavily linked to BPA, including brain problems, premature birth, less fertility in women, defects in newborn babies, and some types of cancer. There was a study which showed that 96% of women had BPA in their bodies. Water bottles also have phthalates. Phthalates are used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which makes bottles more flexible. However, it does harm to the human body. PVC has a chemical called dioxin, which disrupts the human reproductive system, as well as messing up the hormones of the endocrine system.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used to synthesize polycarbonates and epoxy resins for the manufacturing of products to which we are exposed in daily manners. BPA is considered a xenoestrogen because of its high affinity for estrogen receptors and related receptors, also, because it is known to have a disruptive effect on blastocyst implantation when ingested or injected in doses 10,000 times the effective dose of E2.
Once you open your eyes to it, it’s everywhere, from the Tupperware you eat out, the cans that your food is packaged in, to the helmets you put on your head and the laptop that you’re using. BPA has been used as a plastic hardener for the past 40 years now and is now deeply engrained in our products of modern consumer society. Although it’s children and unborn babies that are the most affected by this toxic chemical, adults are not exempt form
Breast cancer is a well-known outcome of too much exposure to BPA. Over 130 studies have confirmed the link between Bisphenol A and to ailments like breast cancer. BPA can disrupt your endocrine levels. That means BPA can act as hormone, like estrogen. Endocrine disruptors can often lead to cancer. When you heat up plastic (Bisphenol A), phthalates can leak into your food. Phthalates are used to make plastic flexible and unable to break easily. Phthalates can cause cancer if you are exposed to too much. A way to prevent cancer causing phthalates and BPA is to buy all BPA products and do not heat up food in a plastic container or covered with plastic
As a result, evidence was proven that the lab animals tested with the endocrine-disrupting chemicals, distinctively increased in size and weight. From the University of California, Bruce Blumberg was one of the first scientists to notice a link between the disrupting chemicals and obesity in the lab animals; resulting in his theory to be that “obsesogens” were causing the animals to gain fat. Obsesogens are classified as common chemicals found in our environment and are endocrine-disruptors that appear to be most dangerous when taken in small quantities. From the University of Missouri, Fred Vom Saal was researching on the effects of Bisphenol-A (an endocrine-disruptor) and injected them with a small dose of BPA equivalent to the amount a human would ingest in a day. Results have shown that it had caused reproductive abnormalities of weight gain. From the U.S National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Retha Newbold studied the health effects on D.E.S, which is a hormone replacement drug, have found to be linked with ovarian cancer. Newbold’s research experiment was to inject the rats with D.E.S, and results significantly showed the animals became obese due to the chemical. All the experiments conducted, had shown that the endocrine disrupting chemical did indeed include a link to the obesity in the lab
Endocrine disrupters are chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system. Endocrine disrupters mess with the production, transmission and digestion of hormones. These chemicals can be found in many everyday items such as, plastic, pesticides, fire repellents, air fresheners and dryer sheets. They seem to disrupt some development of the brain. Studies have shown that children exposed to higher levels of the endocrine disrupters tend to have lower IQ’s. It seems to effects males more than females, causing them to be very active. Endocrine disrupters have been linked to diseases such as autism and
Most individuals are not aware of the things that are bad for the body until a noticeable reaction occurs. With this in mind, endocrine disrupting chemicals are chemicals that interfere with our endocrine system causing a problem. Therefore, in this paper, I plan to inform you about three endocrine disruptors that are bad for the human body known as flame retardants, phytoestrogens and triclosan. I will contain information about the chemicals found, products that they are located in and the effect they have on animal and human tissue. Next, I will show a relationship between endocrinology and endocrine disrupting chemicals on affecting homeostasis and discuss my reaction to the information I learned and how I feel about it overall.
Of particular interest are those chemicals, which mimic the female hormone of estrogen, which is
Bisphenol A is a chemical compound associated with acetones and phenols. It is a hard organic substance that is mainly utilized to manufacture plastics and is unable to dissolve properly in water. Furthermore, Bisphenol A is a controversial substance that can be found in most of our daily plastic products, from water bottles to food containers. Many scientific debate papers are being written over this chemical substance concerning its effects and consequences of consuming it, as being exposed to BPA is inevitable nowadays because this chemical is available almost everywhere. Not to be confused with bisphenol s, this term paper is going to broadly discuss bisphenol a as it it an important debatable substance