Ariina1 [creativecommon license] via Wikimedia CommonsBisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical with endocrine-disrupting properties that is present in many consumer items: the linings of aluminum cans, heat-activated or pressure-printed cash register receipts, dental sealants and polycarbonate plastic products such as food and drink containers. Because of its prevalence, many people are exposed to BPA on a recurring basis. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that BPA is present in the bodies of more than 90% of American adults. Concerns regarding the risks of this widespread exposure have grown during the past 15 years, as hundreds of studies have reported adverse effects of low-dose exposure to BPA in animal models. In rodents, fetal and neonatal exposure has been shown to affect reproductive development in both males and females. But the relevance of results from rodent studies to human health has been questioned, in part because metabolism of BPA differs between rodents and humans, even though the pharmacokinetics of BPA within the body were recently reported to be quite similar in rodents, nonhuman primates and humans.
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