Maternal exposure to BPA leaching from beverage and food containers and its lactational transfer

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the intake of BPA leaching out from plastic food and beverage containers by pregnant women and lactational transfer of this industrial compound.
Initial breast milk samples obtained 3 days after birth were collected from 102 lactating women. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the extent of use of plastic food containers and packaging material, such as heat-resistant polycarbonate food containers, as well as the consumption of plastic-bottled water, takeout meals packaged in polycarbonate plastic and canned coffee, by these women when they were pregnant. The BPA level in the first breast milk samples was quantified by ELISA using anti-BPA antibody.
Results Initial breast milk samples could be obtained from all of the 102 subjects. The BPA level in these samples was 3.41 ± 0.13 (mean ± SE) ng/mL. The BPA levels in the breast milk tended to increase as the frequency of use of plastic food containers and packages made with BPA by the subjects when they were pregnant increased.
For safe breastfeeding, we believe that it is important to minimize maternal exposure to BPA throughout life, not only during pregnancy.