Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120104

Frederick vom Saal, PhD, Biology Division, University of Missouri-Columbia, 105 Lefevre Hall, Columbia, MO 65211 and John Peterson Myers, PhD, Director, W. Alton Jones Foundation, 232 East High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902-5178, 804-295-2134, Jpmyers@ourstolenfuture.org.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is the monomer used to manufacture polycarbonate plastic, the resin lining of metal food and beverage cans, and dental sealants. BPA leaches from all of these products and mimics the actions of estradiol. Adverse effects are observed in experimental animals below the range of BPA monitored in humans in the USA, Japan and Europe. Developmental exposure to BPA in animals causes permanent changes in brain structure and brain chemistry associated with impaired learning, hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, increase desire for addictive drugs, and changes in social behavior and sexual behavior; there is also accelerated postnatal growth, early onset of sexual maturation, chromosomal damage in oocytes and a decrease in embryo survival, decreased testicular sperm production and a decrease in male fertility, malformations of the urethra and precancerous abnormalities in the breast and prostate. BPA also inhibits testosterone production. Human studies show a correlation between blood levels of BPA and ovarian disease in women. The EPA and FDA have so far refused to acknowledge these findings published in over 100 peer-reviewed articles and have refused to initiate a new risk assessment, choosing instead to accept the position of the American Plastic Council that BPA is safe. This position is based on toxicity studies conducted in the 1980s that used very high doses and did not take into account the very high potency of BPA as a female sex hormone. These prior studies thus missed the adverse effects that are now being observed at very low, environmentally relevant doses.

Learning Objectives: Following the presentation, attendees will be able to

• Describe the health hazard of chemicals in plastic;
• Give an example of a flaw typical of chemical risk assessments from the perspective of assessing low dose hormonal effects;
• Give an example of how corporate funding biases research outcomes

Keywords: Environment, Risk Assessment

Related Web page: ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2005/7713/abstract.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.