Risk assessment based on urinary bisphenol A levels in the general Korean population

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 150; pp. 606 - 615
• Main Authors: Park, Jae-Hong, Hwang, Myung-Sil, Ko, Ahra, Jeong, Da-Hyun, Lee, Jung-Mi, Moon, Guiim, Lee, Kwang-Soo, Kho, Young-Ho, Shin, Min-Ki, Lee, Hee-Seok, Kang, Hui-Seung, Suh, Jin-Hyang, Hwang, In-Gyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.10.2016
• Subjects: acceptable daily intake; Adolescent; Adult; air; Benzhydryl Compounds - urine; Biomonitoring; Bisphenol A; blood; breast milk; Child; Child, Preschool; containers; CREATININE; Diet; dietary exposure; drugs; dust; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; Endocrine Disruptors - urine; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - urine; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; epoxides; Europe; FAO; Female; females; Food Contamination - analysis; food frequency questionnaires; food safety; geometry; HEALTH HAZARDS; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Korean; Korean Peninsula; Male; males; MAMMARY GLANDS; Middle Aged; North America; PHENOLS; Phenols - urine; Plasticizers - analysis; plastics; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; reproductive toxicology; Republic of Korea; resins; Risk Assessment; TDI; TOXICITY; URINE; Young Adult; North America; Europe; Korean Peninsula; Biomonitoring; PBPK; EDI; ANSES; BMDL; MFDS; EFSA; FFQ; JECFA; UF; CHMS; LOAEL; Risk assessment; BMD; TDI; 24HR; WHO; LOD; UNEP; POD; HED; GM; GerES IV; Korean; HbGV; KRIEFS; Bisphenol A; BPA; FAO; NOAEL; NHANES
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.03.024

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high-volume industrial chemical used in the global production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, which are used in food and drink containers, such as tableware (plates and mugs). Due to its broad applications, BPA has been detected in human blood, urine and breast milk as well as environmental substances, including water, indoor and outdoor air, and dust. Indeed, exposure to high concentrations of BPA can result in a variety of harmful effects, including reproductive toxicity, through a mechanism of endocrine disruption. Our comparison of reported BPA urinary concentrations among different countries revealed that exposures in Korea may be higher than those in other Asian countries and North America, but lower than or similar to those in European countries. The current study included a total of 2044 eligible subjects of all ages. The subjects were evenly divided between males and females (48.58% and 51.42%, respectively). The geometric mean (GM) of pre-adjusted (adjusted) urinary BPA concentrations was 1.83μg/L (2.01μg/g creatinine) for subjects of all ages, and there was no statistically difference in BPA concentrations between males (1.90μg/L, 1.87μg/g creatinine) and females (1.76μg/L, 2.16μg/g creatinine). Multiple regression analysis revealed only one positive association between creatinine pre-adjusted urinary BPA concentration and age (β=−0.0868, p<0.001). The 95th percentile levels of 24-hour recall (HR), food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) and estimated daily intake (EDI) through urinary BPA concentrations were 0.14, 0.13, and 0.22μg/kg bw/day, respectively. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), a tolerable daily intake (tDI) of 20μg/kg bw/day was established for BPA from the available toxicological data. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established a temporary TDI of 4μg/kg bw/day based on current toxicological data. By comparing these TDIs with subjects' exposure, we conclude that there are no health concerns for any age group as a result of current levels of dietary exposure to BPA. •We compared urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels among different countries.•We evaluated the urinary BPA levels of the general Korean population.•We found that the overall GM of urinary BPA concentration was 1.83μg/L.•We derived a TDI of 20μg/kg bw/day for BPA.•There is no health concern for any age group from current levels of exposure to BPA.