BPA exposure may affect fertility.
BPA has been linked to many health problems, including autism.
New animal research from the University of Illinois shows that BPA exposure affects three generations of fertility.
BPA, or bisphenol A, is an industrial chemical that is used to make certain types of plastics and resins.
A national study found BPA levels in 93 percent of 2,517 human urine samples tested in 2003-04, which suggests that most people in the U.S. are regularly exposed to BPA.
“Our study followed up on a previous study of ours that found that BPA can affect the development of the ovary and reduce fertility in the pups of pregnant mice exposed to the chemical,” said Jodi Flaws, a professor from the University of Illinois and lead author of the study. “We found that exposing them to levels of BPA which are below what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says is a safe dose causes reproductive problems in these mice.”
Depending on dosage, many of the mice had reduced fertility and were unable to complete pregnancies. The first generation of pups also engaged in less mating behavior than those that were not exposed to BPA in the womb.
The third generation, which did not receive direct BPA exposure showed signs of delayed sexual maturity, reduced fertility, and lower pregnancy success rates.
In the third generation, the mice that received the lowest dose showed the most detrimental effects.
“In toxicology, a lot of times people think: The higher the dose, the worse it is,” Flaws said. “But with endocrine-disrupting chemicals, it’s sometimes the low doses that cause the most profound effects.”
There are also studies showing the effects of BPA exposure on human fertility.
“There are a lot of studies out there, and when you look at BPA in women’s reproductive health, there are a lot of consistencies with the animal studies,” she said. “Many of the studies in women have been done by Dr. Russ Hauser at Harvard. He has shown that urinary concentrations of BPA were associated with reduced fertility and women’s ability to get pregnant. So I personally think there is pretty good evidence that BPA is a reproductive toxicant in mice as well as in humans.”
The study showing that BPA exposure affects three generations of fertility was published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
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REFERENCES:
1. “BPA Exposure in Pregnant Mice Affects Fertility in Three Generations.” University of Illinois. University of Illinois, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
2. “The Effects of in Utero Bisphenol A Exposure on Reproductive Capacity in Several Generations of Mice.” Science Direct. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
