Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound which has two phenol functional groups. It is used to make polycarbonate plastic, epoxy resins, and other things.
| Names | ||
|---|---|---|
| IUPAC name 4,4'-(propane-2,2-diyl)diphenol | ||
| Other names BPA, p,p'-isopropylidenebisphenol, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane. | ||
| Identifiers | ||
| ||
3D model (JSmol) | ||
| ChEBI | ||
| ChEMBL | ||
| ChemSpider | ||
| DrugBank | ||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.133 | |
| EC Number |
| |
| KEGG | ||
PubChem CID | ||
| RTECS number |
| |
| UNII | ||
| UN number | 2430 | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | ||
SMILES
| ||
| Properties | ||
| C15H16O2 | ||
| Molar mass | 228.29 g·mol−1 | |
| Appearance | White to light brown flakes or powder | |
| Density | 1.20 g/cm³, solid | |
| Melting point | 158 to 159 °C (430 K) | |
| Boiling point | 220 °C (493 K) / 4 mmHg | |
| 120–300 ppm (at 21.5 °C) | ||
| Hazards | ||
| NFPA 704 |
| |
| R-phrases | R36, R37, R38, R43 | |
| S-phrases | S24, S26, S37 | |
| Flash point | 227 °C | |
| Related compounds | ||
| Related compounds | phenols Bisphenol S | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | ||
 verify (what is   ?) | ||
| Infobox references | ||
Scientist discovered in the mid 1930s that people and animals react to BPA in the same way that they react to hormone (oestrogen-like effects.) Some stores stopped selling products made with BPA in 2008 because government reports said BPA was not safe for humans. Many news stories wrote about BPA safety.
A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration said that contact with BPA could hurt fetuses (unborn children), infants and young children.[1] In September 2010, Canada became the first country to say that BPA was a toxic substance.[2][3] In the European Union and Canada, BPA cannot be used to make baby bottles.[4]
Uses
Uses: in at least one European country, BPA is used in epoxy glue for repairing pipes that transport water into apartments.[5]
In at least one other European country, BPA is part of surfaces of rotors (sometimes nicknamed propellor) of wind turbines; In at least one (place or) municipality, rotors with BPA are not permitted near a lake that is a source of drinking water.[6]
Health effects
Bisphenol A damages the way hormones regulate (control) the human body (endocrine disruptor). BPA can pretend to be the body's own hormones. BPA may cause health problems.[7][8][9][10] Very young children are most sensitive to BPA.[11] Some studies have shown that there is a link (connection) between BPA exposure before birth and later problems of the nervous system. Health organizations have decided how much BPA (in a substance) is safe for people. But new studies have caused other scientists and health organizations to disagree with these decisions. [12][13] A 2011 study that investigated the number of chemicals to which pregnant women in the U.S. are exposed found BPA in 96% of women.[14]
Expert panel conclusions
In 2007, 38 experts on bisphenol A wrote a consensus statement which said average levels in people are above those that cause harm to many animals in laboratory experiments. However, the experts noted that 1) BPA is not persistent in the environment or in humans, 2) biomonitoring surveys indicate that exposure is continuous, 3) it is hard to use acute animal exposure studies to estimate daily human exposure to BPA, and 4) no studies that had examined BPA pharmacokinetics in animal models had followed continuous low level exposures. The measurement of BPA levels in human serum and other body fluids suggests that either BPA intake is much higher than previously thought or that BPA can bioaccumulate in some conditions such as pregnancy, or both.[15] A 2011 study, the first to examine BPA in a continuous low level exposure throughout the day, did find an increased absorption and accumulation of BPA in the blood of mice.[16]
In 2007, 153 government-funded BPA experiments on lab animals and tissues found adverse effects and 14 did not. In contrast, all 13 studies funded by chemical corporations reported no harm. The studies indicating harm reported a variety of harmful effects in rodent offspring exposed in the womb: abnormal weight gain, insulin resistance, prostate cancer, and too much mammary gland development.[17]
A panel convened by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in 2007 determined that there was "some concern" about BPA's effects on fetal and infant brain development and behavior. The concern over the effect of BPA on infants was also heightened by the fact that infants and children are estimated to have the highest daily intake of BPA.[18] A 2008 report by the U.S. National Toxicology Program later agreed with the panel, expressing "some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A," and "minimal concern for effects on the mammary gland and an earlier age for puberty for females in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A." The NTP had "negligible concern that exposure of pregnant women to bisphenol A will result in fetal or neonatal mortality, birth defects, or reduced birth weight and growth in their offspring."[19]
Other opinions
In 2009, The Endocrine Society said it was worried about current human exposure to BPA.[20]
In 2011, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency's chief scientist said "the evidence [is] that BPA is rapidly absorbed, detoxified, and eliminated from humans – therefore is not a health concern."[21]
References
Other websites
- Borrell, Brendan (2010-04-21). "Toxicology: The big test for bisphenol A". Nature. 464 (7292): 1122–1124. doi:10.1038/4641122a. PMID 20414285. S2CID 205053764. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
- Kabiersch, G; Rajasärkkä, J; Ullrich, R; Tuomela, M; Hofrichter, M; Virta, M; Hatakka, A; Steffen, K (2011). "Fate of bisphenol a during treatment with the litter-decomposing fungi Stropharia rugosoannulata and Stropharia coronilla". Chemosphere. 83 (3): 226–32. Bibcode:2011Chmsp..83..226K. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.12.094. PMID 21295326.
- Vogel, S. A. (2009). "The Politics of Plastics: the Making and Unmaking of Bisphenol A "Safety"". American Journal of Public Health. 99 (S3): S559–S566. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.159228. PMC 2774166. PMID 19890158.
- Plastic Not Fantastic with Bisphenol A (www.scientificamerican.com)
- US FDA statement on bisphenol A from 2008 Archived 2009-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
- Myers, John Peterson; et al. (March 2009). "Why Public Health Agencies Cannot Depend on Good Laboratory Practices as a Criterion for Selecting Data: The Case of Bisphenol A". Environmental Health Perspectives. 17 (3): 309–315. doi:10.1289/ehp.0800173. PMC 2661896. PMID 19337501.[permanent dead link]
- Hazard in a bottle Attempt to regulate BPA in California defeated (from The Economist)
- Bisphenol-A News & Products Archived 2008-05-12 at Archive.today News commentary on BPA Containing Products
- Maria Bondessona; Jill Jönssona; Ingemar Pongratza; Nicholas Oleab; Jean-Pierre Cravedic; Daniel Zalkoc, D.; Helen Håkanssond; Krister Halldind; Diego Di Lorenzoe; Christian Behlf; Dieter Mantheyf; Patrick Balaguerg; Barbara Demeneixh; Jean Baptiste Finih; Vincent Laudeti; Jan-Åke Gustafssona1 (Jul 2009). "A CASCADE of effects of bisphenol A". Reproductive Toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.). 28 (4): 563–567. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2009.06.014. ISSN 0890-6238. PMID 19577634.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - How to Protect Your Baby from BPA (Bisphenol A) Archived 2011-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Layton, Lyndsey (23 February 2010). "Alternatives to BPA containers not easy for U.S. foodmakers to find". Washington Post. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- "European Food Safety Authority Scientific Opinion on Bisphenol A". 23 September 2010.
- ChemSub Online : Bisphenol A.
