A Survey of the Level of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Effluents, Soil Leachates, Food Samples, Drinking Water and Consumer Products in South-Western Nigeria
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the highest volume chemicals produced. Human exposure to BPA is continuous because of its use in the production of polycarbonated plastics, and as an intermediate and additives for the production of other products. These products leach detectable levels of BPA which has found its way into our foods and drinks; these have been the major sources of human exposure to BPA. BPA is also released into the environment through sewage, industrial effluent, treatment effluent, landfill leachates or natural degradation of polycarbonate plastics. This study was carried out to determine the level of environmental and human exposure to BPA in two south western states of Nigeria. The indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used for the determinations. The limit of detection (LOD) is 5ng/ml. The environmental levels were investigated in soil leachates, rivers and industrial effluents (n=9), while the sources of human exposure were investigated in canned food and drinks (n=5), and water storage containers (n=15) household materials (spoons, biros, tooth brush, phone casing and kettles) (n=7). The results confirmed that BPA was present in all the samples in a range of 96.50±1.19µg/L-2880.50±8.35µg/L. This study revealed that leaching of BPA from drink and food cans as well as consumer products are some of the major sources of human exposure and that BPA is continually released at environmentally relevant concentrations in the south western part of Nigeria through industrial effluent, dumpsite leachates, creating challenges for remediation.
Source: World environment
Authors: Tunmise Makinwa, P. O. Uadia
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1002452844