Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 2003 Jan;111(1):101–104. doi: 10.1289/ehp.5512

Bisphenol A levels in human urine.

Akiko Matsumoto 1, Naoki Kunugita 1, Kyoko Kitagawa 1, Toyohi Isse 1, Tsunehiro Oyama 1, Gary L Foureman 1, Masatoshi Morita 1, Toshihiro Kawamoto 1
PMCID: PMC1241312  PMID: 12515686

Abstract

The estrogenic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) have been reported in human cells (E-screen assays) and in (italic)in vivo(/italic) studies of rodents, although the latter reports remain controversial, as do the exposure levels and adverse health effects of BPA in humans. In this study we report on an analytical high-performance liquid chromatography/fluorescence method for BPA and its conjugate in human urine and on the application of this method in two student cohorts. Urine, along with information on smoking, alcohol intake, and coffee/tea consumption, was collected in two different years from two different groups of university students, 50 in 1992 and 56 in 1999. Overall, the urinary BPA levels in the students in 1992 were significantly higher than were those in 1999. The BPA levels were also positively correlated with coffee and tea consumption in the 1992 cohort but not in the 1999 cohort. We speculate that recent changes made in Japan regarding the interior coating of cans used to package these beverages may partly explain these findings.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (178.4 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Brock J. W., Yoshimura Y., Barr J. R., Maggio V. L., Graiser S. R., Nakazawa H., Needham L. L. Measurement of bisphenol A levels in human urine. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 2001 Jul-Aug;11(4):323–328. doi: 10.1038/sj.jea.7500174. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brotons J. A., Olea-Serrano M. F., Villalobos M., Pedraza V., Olea N. Xenoestrogens released from lacquer coatings in food cans. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Jun;103(6):608–612. doi: 10.1289/ehp.95103608. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Inoue H., Yokota H., Makino T., Yuasa A., Kato S. Bisphenol a glucuronide, a major metabolite in rat bile after liver perfusion. Drug Metab Dispos. 2001 Aug;29(8):1084–1087. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kawamura Y., Inoue K., Nakazawa H., Yamada T., Maitani T. [Cause of bisphenol A migration from cans for drinks and assessment of improved cans]. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2001 Feb;42(1):13–17. doi: 10.3358/shokueishi.42.13. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Knaak J. B., Sullivan L. J. Metabolism of bisphenol A in the rat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1966 Mar;8(2):175–184. doi: 10.1016/s0041-008x(66)80001-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Krishnan A. V., Stathis P., Permuth S. F., Tokes L., Feldman D. Bisphenol-A: an estrogenic substance is released from polycarbonate flasks during autoclaving. Endocrinology. 1993 Jun;132(6):2279–2286. doi: 10.1210/endo.132.6.8504731. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Laws S. C., Carey S. A., Ferrell J. M., Bodman G. J., Cooper R. L. Estrogenic activity of octylphenol, nonylphenol, bisphenol A and methoxychlor in rats. Toxicol Sci. 2000 Mar;54(1):154–167. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/54.1.154. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ogata M., Taguchi T. Simultaneous determination of urinary creatinine and metabolites of toluene, xylene, styrene, ethylbenzene and phenol by automated high performance liquid chromatography. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1988;61(1-2):131–140. doi: 10.1007/BF00381617. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Papaconstantinou A. D., Umbreit T. H., Fisher B. R., Goering P. L., Lappas N. T., Brown K. M. Bisphenol A-induced increase in uterine weight and alterations in uterine morphology in ovariectomized B6C3F1 mice: role of the estrogen receptor. Toxicol Sci. 2000 Aug;56(2):332–339. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/56.2.332. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pottenger L. H., Domoradzki J. Y., Markham D. A., Hansen S. C., Cagen S. Z., Waechter J. M., Jr The relative bioavailability and metabolism of bisphenol A in rats is dependent upon the route of administration. Toxicol Sci. 2000 Mar;54(1):3–18. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/54.1.3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sajiki J., Takahashi K., Yonekubo J. Sensitive method for the determination of bisphenol-A in serum using two systems of high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 1999 Dec 24;736(1-2):255–261. doi: 10.1016/s0378-4347(99)00471-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Snyder R. W., Maness S. C., Gaido K. W., Welsch F., Sumner S. C., Fennell T. R. Metabolism and disposition of bisphenol A in female rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2000 Nov 1;168(3):225–234. doi: 10.1006/taap.2000.9051. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Soto A. M., Sonnenschein C., Chung K. L., Fernandez M. F., Olea N., Serrano F. O. The E-SCREEN assay as a tool to identify estrogens: an update on estrogenic environmental pollutants. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Oct;103 (Suppl 7):113–122. doi: 10.1289/ehp.95103s7113. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Takahashi O., Oishi S. Testicular toxicity of dietary 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A) in F344 rats. Arch Toxicol. 2001 Mar;75(1):42–51. doi: 10.1007/s002040000204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tohei A., Suda S., Taya K., Hashimoto T., Kogo H. Bisphenol A inhibits testicular functions and increases luteinizing hormone secretion in adult male rats. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2001 Mar;226(3):216–221. doi: 10.1177/153537020122600309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Villalobos M., Olea N., Brotons J. A., Olea-Serrano M. F., Ruiz de Almodovar J. M., Pedraza V. The E-screen assay: a comparison of different MCF7 cell stocks. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Sep;103(9):844–850. doi: 10.1289/ehp.95103844. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Welshons W. V., Nagel S. C., Thayer K. A., Judy B. M., Vom Saal F. S. Low-dose bioactivity of xenoestrogens in animals: fetal exposure to low doses of methoxychlor and other xenoestrogens increases adult prostate size in mice. Toxicol Ind Health. 1999 Jan-Mar;15(1-2):12–25. doi: 10.1177/074823379901500103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES