BPA's may permanently alter body chemistry

According to the Environmental Working Group, studies demonstrating BPA toxicity to humans at current levels of exposure Health problems associated with BPA exposures in people include the following:

Cardiovascular disease - A study published in January 2010 links BPA exposures in Americans to heart disease (Melzer 2010). The work, by a team from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter, includes 1,493 American adults enrolled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES). The researchers examined the newest NHANES data from 2005-06 and also pooled it with 2003-04 NHANES data. They confirm their previous findings in 2008 that associated BPA exposures and heart disease from participants in the 2003-04 study (Lang 2008).

Aggression – In a study of 249 children, researchers at the University of North Carolina found an association between prenatal BPA exposure and aggressive behavior in 2-year-olds, especially among girls (Braun 2009).

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) – Scientists at the University of Tokyo studied 47 women with reproductive disorders and 26 healthy women and found that those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) had higher serum levels of BPA relative to women with normal ovarian function, and that there were positive correlations between BPA concentrations and sex hormones (testosterone and androgen) (Takeuchi 2004). This confirmed their earlier study of 16 women with PCOS (Takeuchi 2002).

Recurrent miscarriages – Researchers found higher serum BPA levels among 45 women with a history of recurrent miscarriages than among women with normal pregnancies (Sugiura- Ogasawara 2005).

Damage to male reproductive system – Two studies of workers with BPA exposures similar to those measured in Americans (Calafat 2008) find associations with damage to the male reproductive system. A study of 42 men with occupational exposure to epoxy resins found that they had decreased secretion of follicle stimulating hormone when compared with men without occupational exposure to epoxy resins (Hanaoka et al. 2002). Another study of 25 Japanese shipyard workers found BPA-exposed painters had lower testosterone concentrations and higher luteinizing hormone (Cha 2008).

Diabetes – In 2008, scientists from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter examined BPA levels measured more than 14,000 adults participating in the CDC NHANES study from 2003-04. They found that people with higher BPA levels were more than twice as likely to report a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes than individuals with the lowest 25% of BPA exposure (Lang 2008).

References
Braun JM, Yolton K, Dietrich KN, Hornung R, Ye X, Calafat AM, Lanphear BP. 2009. Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure and Early Childhood Behavior. Environ Health Perspect. 117(12): 1945–1952. (doi: 10.1289/ehp.0900979)
Calafat AM, Ye XY, Wong LY, Reidy JA, Needham LL. 2008. Exposure of the US population to bisphenol A and 4-tertiary-octylphenol: 2003-2004. Environ Health Perspect. 116(1): 39-44.
Cha BS, Koh SB, Park JH, Eom A, Lee KM, Choi HS. 2008. Influence of occupational exposure to bisphenol A on the sex hormones of male epoxy resin painters. Molec Cell Toxicol. 4(3): 230-234.
Hanaoka T, Kawamura N, et al. 2002. Urinary bisphenol A and plasma hormone concentrations in male workers exposed to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and mixed organic solvents. Occup Environ Med. 59(9): 625-8.
Lang IA, Galloway TS, Scarlett A, Henley WE, Depledge M, Wallace R,
Melzer D. 2008. Association of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration With Medical Disorders and Laboratory Abnormalities in Adults. JAMA. 300(11): 1303-1310. (doi:10.1001/jama.300.11.1303).
Melzer D, Rice NE, Lewis C, Henley WE, Gallowa TS. 2010. Association of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration with Heart Disease: Evidence from NHANES 2003/06. PLoS 5(1): e8673. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0008673
Sugiura-Ogasawara M, Ozaki Y, Sonta S, Makino T, Suzumori K. 2005. Exposure to bisphenol A is associated with recurrent miscarriage. Hum Reprod. 20(8): 2325-9.
Takeuchi T, Tsutsumi O. 2002. Serum bisphenol a concentrations showed gender differences, possibly linked to androgen levels. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 291(1): 76-8.
Takeuchi T, Tsutsumi O, Ikezuki Y, Takai Y, Taketani Y. 2004. Positive relationship between androgen and the endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A, in normal women and women with ovarian dysfunction. Endocr J 51(2): 165-9.
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