Study Links BPA in plastics for erectile dysfunction

Wednesday, november 11, 2009 health.com) — Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical found in hard, clear plastic used to everything from baby bottles on food packaging, can increase the risk of erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in male workers exposed to large quantities of the substance, according to a study conducted in China.

The health effects of BPA has been hotly debated; Although some studies have linked BPA to a risk of damage to the brain, congenital malformations, hyperactivity, cardiovascular diseases, early puberty, obesity and prostate cancer, other research suggests that the low level of exposure of plastics not a health risk for adults. (The picture is less clear for children.)

Part of the problem is that many of the research is conducted in mice and other animals, and its validity in humans is controversial. Although unconvincing, the potential effects on health caused some baby-bottle and water-bottle manufacturers to stop using the chemical, at least in part because of public interest. (BPA is not found in soft, pliable plastic used in most water bottles).

Now, the new study — one of the first to be conducted in humans — seems to support a previously reported only in animal research.

Among the men who work with BPA, was the risk of having problems ejaculate seven times higher than among the non-exposed group, and the risk of erectile problems more than four times greater. The BPA-exposed workers also reported higher rates of low sex drive and lower overall satisfaction with their sex lives, according to the study, published this week in human reproduction and financed by the National Institute for occupational safety and health.

Researchers compared rates of sexual dysfunction in two groups of workers in China — 230 men who worked at the factories that produce BPA or epoxy resin (in which the chemical), and some 400 men, including workers in other industries, which is not unusually high levels of BPA were exposed. Epoxy resin in the lining of canned is used and is also a potential source of BPA in addition to hard, clear plastic.

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