Bisphenol A migration from plastic materials: direct insight of ecotoxicity in Daphnia magna

Mansilha, Catarina; Silva, Poliana; Rocha, Sónia; Gameiro, Paula; Domingues, Valentina; Pinho, Carina; Ferreira, Isabel

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/2023

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Environ Sci Pollut Res _2013_ 20 6007–6018.pdf		341.53 KB	Adobe PDF	Download

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Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) whose migration from food packaging is recognized worldwide. However, the real overall food contamination and related consequences are yet largely unknown. Among humans, children exposition to BPA contamination has been emphasized because the immaturity of their biological systems. The main aim of this study was to assess the reproductive burden of BPA leached from commercially available plastic containers used or related to child nutrition, performing ecotoxicological tests using the biomonitoring specie Daphnia magna. Acute and chronic tests, as well as single and multigenerational tests were done. Migration of BPA from several baby bottles and other plastic containers evaluated by GC-MS indicated that a broader range of foodstuff may be contaminated when packed in plastics. Ecotoxicological tests results performed using defined concentrations of BPA were in agreement with literature, although a precocious maturity of daphnids was detected at 3.0 mg/L. Curiously, an increased reproductive output (embryos per female) was observed when daphnids were bred in the polycarbonate (PC) containers (145.1±4.3% to 264.7±3.8%), both in single as in multigenerational tests, in comparison with the negative control group (100.3±1.6%). A strong correlated dose-dependent ecotoxicological effect was observed, providing evidence that BPA leached from plastic food packaging materials act as functional estrogen in vivo at very low concentrations. In contrast, embryo production by daphnids cultured in polypropylene and non-PC bottles, was slightly but not significantly enhanced (92.5±2.0% to 118.8±1.8%). Multigenerational tests also revealed magnification of the adverse effects, not only on fecundity but also on mortality, which represents a worrying trend for organisms that are chronically exposed to xenoestrogens for many generations. Two plausible explanations for the observed results could be given: a non-monotonic dose-response relationship or a mixture toxicity effect.