[Pharmwaste] High BPA levels don't swim well with sperm

DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ) Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov
Thu Oct 28 12:46:54 EDT 2010


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39888170/ns/health-mens_health/

High BPA levels don't swim well with sperm 
Food packaging chemical can reduce quality of semen, study finds 
By Natasha Allen 
LiveScience 
updated 10/28/2010 9:03:22 AM ET 2010-10-28T13:03:22 
Exposure to a chemical found in food packaging and other plastics, BPA,
can reduce the quality of men's semen, according to the findings of a
five-year study and one of the few involving humans rather than animal
models. 
"This study counters the argument that only highly exposed populations
are affected," said study author Dr. De-Kun Li, a reproductive and
perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in
Oakland, Calif. 
"You can be exposed from the workplace. You can be exposed from consumer
products. It doesn't really matter. Ultimately it will reflect in your
urine," he said. 
The researchers suggest findings should apply to Americans since even
low levels of BPA exposure
<http://www.livescience.com/health/090602-bad-plastic.html> comparable
to men in the general U.S. population were found to have an adverse
effect on sperm quality
<http://www.livescience.com/health/sperm-quality-test-100601.html>  and
quantity.
Urine BPA 
The study, based on measurements from 218 Chinese workers, found a link
between high concentrations of BPA, or Bisphenol A, in men's urine and
lower sperm counts, as well as poor-functioning sperm cells. 
The study began with 514 workers recruited from epoxy resin factories in
China in 2004.  Only 218 of the participants ended up submitting both
urine and semen specimens for the final assessment. Researchers measured
semen quality by examining factors like concentration, vitality,
motility (movement), total sperm count and morphology (size and shape). 
Men exposed to BPA at work and who showed  detectable urine BPA had more
than three times the risk of lower sperm concentration and vitality than
men with no detectable urine BPA. The former group also had more than
four times the risk of lower sperm count and more than twice the risk of
lower sperm motility
<http://www.livescience.com/health/sperm-male-infertility-100204.html> .

Li and his team discovered a similar association between men with low
BPA exposure from environmental sources and raised urine BPA levels and
decreased semen quality. 
Story: Baldness drug works, but may cause sex problems
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39760387/ns/health-men's_health?ns=health-m
ens_health> 
No correlation was shown between urine BPA and semen volume or shape. 
Animal studies already have shown that BPA is a hormone disruptor that
can affect male reproductive organs, including the epididymis (coiled
structure in the scrotum) and testes. However, there have been few
findings regarding the chemical's influence on humans, including a
recent study on male sexual dysfunction
<http://www.livescience.com/health/male-menopause-100908.html> by Li and
his researchers. 
"Our study shows that BPA could lead to pathological changes to human
organs - semen quality, in this case," Li told LiveScience. "In
addition, this new finding of the detrimental effect of BPA exposure on
semen quality raises the bar of BPA toxicity."
How this affects Americans 
Bisphenol A can be found in food packaging (the primary source of human
exposure), DVDs, paper coatings, and automotive equipment, among other
products.  Releases of the chemical to the environment exceed 1 million
pounds per year, according to a recent report by the Environmental
Protection Agency. 
Gail Prins, a reproductive physiologist at University of Illinois
College of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, said the finding
is important though unsurprising and that it emphasizes the importance
of animal model research in predicting outcomes in human populations. 
"Evidence has indicated that for the past few decades, sperm counts have
been declining in some human populations - and that this might be
related to exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals
<http://www.livescience.com/health/early-onset-puberty-girls-breast-canc
er-100809.html> such as BPA is very reasonable," Prins said. "I strongly
believe that the U.S. should take measures to reduce the use of this
chemical, since levels build over time." 
Current regulations should reflect more recent findings, said John
Meeker, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the
University of Michigan, who was not involved in Li's study. 
"We know that the majority of Americans have measurable levels of BPA in
their bodies," Meeker said. "Since new research results in both humans
and animals are currently being published nearly every day, policies
should be re-evaluated using the most up-to-date information available."

The findings suggest semen quality and male sexual dysfunction could be
used as early indicators of for harmful BPA effects than other diseases,
such as cancer, the researchers say. 
Li and colleagues plan to examine the effects of BPA exposure during
pregnancy. Though Li warned that further research is needed, he advised
individuals to make informed decisions regarding products that may
contain BPA. 
"As average consumers, we do not need to wait for regulatory agencies'
decision. We can take precautionary steps to avoid the exposure to BPA
in our daily life," he said. "Besides, there is no downside to avoiding
BPA." 
The study was published in the Oct. 28 issue of the journal of Fertility
and Sterility. The work was funded by the U.S. National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health. 




Deborah L. DeBiasi 
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov (NEW!)
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov 
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality 
Office of Water Permit and Compliance Assistance Programs 
Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program 
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html 
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219 
PH:         804-698-4028 
FAX:      804-698-4032 


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