Association Between Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration and Obesity Prevalence in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate resin and is a breakdown product of coatings that prevent metal corrosion in food and beverage containers.¹ In the US population, exposure is nearly ubiquitous, with 92.6% of persons 6 years or older identified in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) as having detectable BPA levels in their urine.² A comprehensive, cross-sectional study of dust, indoor and outdoor air, and solid and liquid food in preschool-aged children³ suggested that dietary sources constitute 99% of BPA exposure. BPA is rapidly excreted in urine, with a half-life in the range of 4 to 43 hours.^4,5 However, BPA also has been detected in fat,⁶ and urinary BPA concentrations do not decline rapidly with fasting time, suggesting that the compound accumulates in fat and other physiologic compartments.⁴