Genesis Fertility Clinic Blog
searching: “bpa”
October 6, 2009
Bisphenol-A and sperm
Driving to work today I was listening to CBC radio one. The host was interviewing a professor at SFU who authored a study that observed an association with high bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure in pregnancy and hyperactivity in girls at 2 years of age. BPA is used as a stabilizer in many plastics and we are exposed mostly from food (as it leeches from packaging) and drinking water (that comes through plastic pipes or from water bottles).
BPA is apparently be found in the urine of many of us (95% in a random sample according to a 2005 study), in our amniotic fluid, and breast milk. It’s everywhere and is described as the most ubiquitous environmental hormone disruptor in humans.
BPA has been linked to lots of terrible things like breast cancer, brain tumors in children, testicular cancer, etc. I think many of us have become worried about how much BPA we might be consuming since these links started to be reported in 2006. Most recently I returned by SIGG bottle when I found out the liner contains BPA. Are we over reacting? Who knows, but as a consumer I feel fairly helpless in determining what the real risk of BPA exposure is, I am losing faith in Health Canada’s ability to provide timely guidance about the risk and I am skeptical of many media reports as I believe corporations can manipulate the messages we receive about products.
What I do look to for answers is studies that come out of universities or reputable institutions. So, I did a little literature search looking as the issue of BPA exposure and sperm count. Most people are aware that over the past 60 years sperm counts have been declining. Could it be that an estrogen-mimicking compound like BPA is contributing?
There have been just over 40 studies published and all in non-humans: carp, trout, mice, rats. There does seem to be an association between exposure both as a fetus and after birth between decreased sperm count and BPA exposure. Also observed is an increase in prostate size, a decrease in testicle size, and abnormalities of the urethra. So at least in these animals BPA exposure might have a negative effect on their fertility.
It will likely take a generation and years of study for any definitive conclusions to be drawn about human male fertility and BPA exposure. Indeed it might be concluded that there is no connection. Who knows? Common sense would suggest that avoiding foreign chemicals that can mimic hormones that affect our health is probably a good idea. So, I’d suggest men (all of us really) minimize their exposure to BPA just in case… no time to wait for the definitive human study to be performed.
My 2 cents.
Dr. Beth Taylor MD, FRCSC
Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility