Release of Bisphenol A from Polycarbonates influenced by Temperature of liquids

31-Jan-08

Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure from polycarbonate plastic bottles is influenced not by the age of the container, but by the temperature of the liquid. The liquid's temperature has the most impact on how much BPA is released, according to University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists. The team found that when the same new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles were exposed to boiling hot water, BPA, an environmental estrogen, was released 55 times more rapidly than before exposure to hot water. Bottles used for up to nine years released the same amount of BPA as new bottles. Drastically higher levels of BPA were released once the bottles were briefly exposed to boiling water. Compared to the rate of release from the same bottle, the speed of release was 15 to 55 times faster. Prior to boiling water exposure, the rate of release from individual bottles ranged from 0.2-0.8 nanograms per hour. After exposure, rates increased to 8-32 nanograms per hour. BPA is one of many man-made chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors, which alter the function of the endocrine system by mimicking the role of the body's natural hormones.