Ariana Montesdeoca

Ariana Montesdeoca

Effects of BPA Exposure on Reproductive Health

Authors

Ariana Montesdeoca, Alice Rhoton-Vlasak, M.D.

Mentor

Dr. Alice Rhoton-Vlasak

College

College of Medicine

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a universal monomer utilized to produce polymers which are found in food and beverage containers and can be leached from plastics when exposed to specific pH’s and high temperatures. BPA gets metabolized and accumulates in endocrine tissues, where it acts as an estrogen receptor agonist or antagonist and leaves female and male reproductive systems susceptible to BPA impacts. The goal of the project is to highlight reproductive effects and assess common grocery store items labels for the presence of BPA. A retrospective literature review was conducted to investigate BPA’s impact on endocrine health and reproduction. A local survey was undertaken to evaluate for BPA presence on labels of five grocery store items: canned tomatoes, tomato soup, dog food, food storage containers, and beverage containers. In females, BPA exposure can lead to polycystic ovary syndrome and impaired implantation. In males, BPA exposure reduces sperm production, quality, and motility. The label survey revealed manufacturers are creating BPA free products with labels, however, some products are still made from polycarbonate, a polymer made from BPA. BPA exposure is common and does have male and female reproductive impacts. Labeling specifically shows whether this is present, although even if it is not, there may be precursors in use. Consumers should be aware of the risks of environmental exposure to BPA and try to limit this in their product choices. Manufactures, should work to eliminate this from packaging.

Poster

Hover over the image below to zoom in or click to view full screen.

Research Pitch

View a 3-minute research pitch below.

To comment below, please sign in with Facebook or Google (using your ufl account) by clicking the little round icons to the right. If you decide, you can post as a guest by entering name and email below, but will lose some features. You can also subscribe to the student’s page to get email updates on new comments.

Leave a Reply