An Overview of the Health Effects of Bisphenol A from a One Health Perspective

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Endocrine disruptors are substances with a capacity to alter the endocrine system, one of the best known being bisphenol A. Bisphenol A is employed in the manufacture of a multitude of utensils used daily, and it is constantly being found polluting the environment and food. It is also an important aquatic pollutant, and its presence has been detected in coastal areas, rivers, and streams, among others. Due to its ubiquity, human and animal populations are frequently exposed to this compound. This work has compiled the effects on health of this substance, which are highly varied and are relevant in affecting reproduction and causing metabolic or immune system alterations, among others, as well as related to an increase in hormone-dependent pathologies, obesity, or type 2 diabetes. Monitoring the populations at risk and establishing a safe exposure level are proposed as being fundamental points in the control of exposure to this compound. ABSTRACT: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound, considered as an “emerging pollutant”, that appears ubiquitously, contaminating the environment and food. It is an endocrine disruptor, found in a multitude of consumer products, as it is a constituent of polycarbonate used in the manufacture of plastics and epoxy resins. Many studies have evaluated the effects of BPA, using a wide range of doses and animal models. In this work, we carried out a review of relevant research related to the effects of BPA on health, through studies performed at different doses, in different animal models, and in human monitoring studies. Numerous effects of BPA on health have been described; in different animal species, it has been reported that it interferes with fertility in both females and males and causes alterations in their offspring, as well as being associated with an increase in hormone-dependent pathologies. Similarly, exposure to BPA has been related to other diseases of great relevance in public health such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, or neurodevelopmental disorders. Its ubiquity and nonmonotonic behavior, triggering effects at exposure levels considered “safe”, make it especially relevant when both animal and human populations are constantly and inadvertently exposed to this compound. Its effects at low exposure levels make it essential to establish safe exposure levels, and research into the effects of BPA must continue and be focused from a “One Health” perspective to take into account all the factors that could intervene in the development of a disease in any exposed organism.