Dietary Exposure - Food Packaging and Bisphenol A and Bis (2-Ethyhexyl) Phthalate Exposure: Findings from a Dietary Intervention

Author: Rudel et al.

Publication: Environmental Health Perspectives

Date: March 30, 2011

exposure

On March 30, 2011, Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) released this study, which demonstrates once again that typical exposure to BPA remains very low. In this study of 5 families, the 20 participants participated in a “fresh foods” dietary intervention. Levels of BPA metabolites in participants’ urine were measured prior to, during and after the dietary interventions. All the measurements confirmed that the BPA levels were more than 1,000 times below the government-established safe intake level.

At a Glance

What was tested?
In this study of five families, the 20 participants participated in a “fresh foods” dietary intervention. Levels of BPA metabolites in participants’ urine were measured prior to, during and after the dietary interventions.
Findings
Urine levels of the inactive form of BPA decreased during the fresh foods intervention. However, all the measurements confirmed that the BPA levels were more than 1,000 times below the government-established safe intake level.
Study Limitations
Authors note, among other things, that their sample size was low (meaning they “cannot rule out the possible role of chance in their findings) and, because the study relied on participants to follow study protocol on their own, authors could not be sure participants were fully compliant.
Importance
All the measurements confirmed that BPA levels were more than 1,000 times below the government-established safe intake level. The levels of BPA measured in this study were consistent with levels found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2005-2006 NHANES, which provided large-scale evidence that BPA exposure levels in the U.S. are very low. This study also reaffirmed that humans metabolize BPA very quickly, demonstrating that BPA does not build up in the body, but is quickly eliminated.