BPA may affect sexual function in adult men, study finds

While the Food and Drug Administration continues to review the safety of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), a new epidemiological study finds for the first time that the ubiquitous substance may well have a serious impact on male sexual function in adults who are exposed to substantial amounts. The men affected worked in factories that manufactured BPA-containing materials and were exposed to relatively high levels of BPA.

Lower levels of BPA exposure are also a concern, and our latest tests found the chemical in just about every canned food we looked at. In that recent investigation, we found that consumers eating just one serving of the canned vegetable soup we tested would get about double what the FDA now considers typical average dietary daily exposure--though that is still far less than the occupational exposures that were noted in factory workers.

BPA is a chemical that can mimic estrogen, and it has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners. Some studies have linked exposure to BPA with reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. Use of the chemical has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. An FDA scientific advisory panel weighed in a year ago that the agency’s rationale for setting safety standards for BPA was inadequate. A congressional subcommittee determined earlier this year that the FDA relied too heavily on industry sponsored studies.

This latest study—funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and published in the journal Human Reproduction—found that workers in China who were exposed to significant amounts of BPA were about four times more likely to report reduced sexual desire, difficulty having an erection, and reduced satisfaction with their sex lives than unexposed workers. They were seven times more likely to have difficulty ejaculating. And the researchers found these effects were dose-related, so those with greater exposure were at higher risk.

Because the workers at the BPA facilities were exposed to relatively high doses of BPA, the researchers note that, “the findings from this study probably do not apply to populations that are exposed to low levels of BPA.” Still, the study is the first piece of evidence that BPA exposure may have a negative impact on human male sexual health, they say, and that finding “increases the need to examine the health effects of BPA in both occupationally and environmentally exposed populations.”

We agree, and we hope the FDA seriously reconsiders its safety levels for BPA while such research is conducted. Consumers Union believes that the use of BPA in all materials that come in contact with food should be eliminated. In the meantime, if you want to lower your exposure to BPA, here are a few simple steps:

• Choose fresh food whenever possible.
• Consider alternatives to canned food, beverages, juices, and infant formula.
• Use glass containers when heating food in microwave ovens.

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor

For more on reducing your family’s exposure to BPA and other harmful chemicals, see Plastic Worries. And you can keep up with news about BPA here, and at our Safety blog.

Comments

[Russell Manchester]

I read the article aboout Bisphenol A in the Dec. 2009 issue and was terribly alarmed. I have searched for and purchased a supply of food that is canned in glass bottles, but there is not much available in the food stores. Could you please tell us what if any canned foods are free from BPA? What about foods packaged in cardboard cartons such as "Imagine Organic Soups", "Bumble Bee Wild Salmon in 5 oz metallic pouches", "Swanson Chicken Broth in cardboard boxes"? Thank you for informing us and for sounding the alarm. I hope Congress will expedite removal of all BPA from contact with our food supply.

[Pattie Delcanto]

My husband has worked at a factory since 1984. He is a 51 year old white male who started having erectile dysfunction approximately 6 years ago. We stopped having sex about 5 years ago as the traditional treatments were not effective. Needless to say this has caused marital problems to the point of considering divorce. Could this be the cause or a contributing factor? WHAT IS CONSIDERD TO BE A SAFE LEVEL OF BPA IN FOOD PRODUCTS?
Are there any treatment options avaiable? Can a physician order any type tests to confirm if BPA levels in his body are extraordinarily high? If so, what specific blood tests should be performed?
Any additional information would be helpful.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE,

Pattie
Oklahoma

[Don]

Your readers may be interested in the editorial comment by Richard M. Sharpe that was published in the same issue of Human Reproduction, which seems to be a reasonably balanced view of the BPA controversy. With regard to this particular study, Dr. Sharpe cautions that "The study by Li et al. (2009) is likely to be overblown by some sections of the media or others, when what is really needed is a level head to evaluate the concerns that this study raise. The first thing needed is repetition of the study—if it is not repeatable (as with many previous studies with bisphenol A) then we should not accept it. This is not to cast doubt on the authors or their study, it is simply the golden first rule in science. In the meantime, we should not lose sight of the fact that even the majority ( 80%) of the men occupationally exposed to bisphenol A in Li et al. (2009) did not exhibit sexual dysfunction. Nor for the moment should we exclude the possibility that something else, common to the workplaces in which bisphenol A is manufactured, could be responsible for the observed effects on sexual dysfunction in men who work there." and "At its most sensational, the findings could mean that our exposure to bisphenol A from drinks and food containers could impair male sex drive and performance. However, this appears highly unlikely. In the men who were occupationally exposed, their urinary bisphenol A levels were more than 50-fold higher than in the men who were not occupationally exposed (the controls), and it is the latter who represent the normal population"

[Don]

A very interesting and possibly important finding. But what were the actual exposure levels in the BPA workers and control groups and how was the exposure determined? Did they measure the BPA levels in urine? If so, what were these values for both groups and how did it compare to the previous CDC publications on urine BPA levels in the general population in the U.S.?
The specific BPA levels are not given in the paper's abstract online and the full paper is not accessible to the general public.

[E. Nowak]

"...a new epidemiological study finds for the first time that the ubiquitous substance may well have a serious impact on male sexual function in adults..."

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Ok, NOW Congress will take a serious look at this chemical. If it just effects women, who cares? But men and their 'nards? Well! THAT'S important!

--Naw! Just funning with you! Congress does what the chemical industry tells it to do. This will be forgotten. Nothing will be done. We live in America, after all.

[Kenneth Spence]

One thing you didn't mention is what happens if one is being exposed to BPA and then removes this exposure? Does the BPA decrease in your system and there by reduce the symptoms described in your article?