Exposure of elementary school-aged Brazilian children to bisphenol A: association with demographic, social, and behavioral factors, and a worldwide comparison

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer used to synthesize polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and is well-known for its endocrine-disrupting action. BPA occurrence in the environment is widespread, and there is a growing concern regarding exposure to this chemical during childhood, given the findings indicating the long-lasting hazards associated with exposure during early life compared to adulthood. We examined urinary BPA concentrations from 319 elementary school-aged Brazilian children, using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. We found that urinary BPA was detectable in the majority of children, and that urinary BPA levels were higher among children with lower family income and lower maternal educational levels. BPA levels found herein were compared with those from countries with different regulation policies concerning exposure to BPA. They were similar to those reported from studies conducted in Egypt and Australia. Despite more protective regulatory policies in the European Union, they were similar or lower than those reported in European studies. Our findings indicate that exposure of Brazilian children to BPA is widespread and comparable to or even lower than that of countries with stricter regulatory policies.

Keywords: Bisphenol A; Childhood; Endocrine disruptors.

Figure 1

Urinary bisphenol A concentrations in elementary school-aged children according to (A) parents’ educational levels and (B) monthly family income (less than three, three to five, more than five minimal wages in 2017, in Brazil – approximately U$ 283). Data presented as box plot, n = 319.

Figure 2

Exposure to bisphenol A during childhood assessed by urinary levels in different countries. (A) Exposure levels in different countries are represented according to the quartile of urinary BPA levels, which was determined by considering the results from individual studies that assessed BPA exposure in childhood. For countries in which more than one study was conducted, we calculated the median urinary BPA level considering the individual median described in each study from the country. (B) Median urinary bisphenol A levels according to the region from individual studies. BPA: bisphenol A. Created with MapChart (http://www.mapchart.net).