In vitro study toward the endocrine activity and the genotoxic potential of migration products from plastic baby bottles

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used since 1960 as a primary raw material for the production of polycarbonate (PC) plastic and epoxy resin, widely used in a variety of common products including digital media (e.g., CDs, DVDs), electrical and electronic equipment, automobiles, sports safety equipment, reusable food and drink containers , as well as baby bottle.
During the last decades, in several studies, the migration of BPA is documented to be a well-known source of food contamination. Some studies have shown that BPA, which is able to mimic the action of and hormone and to disrupt normal endocrine function, may be associated to several health problems and diseases. Recently, the European Union took a series of measures, including a ban for the import and sale PC baby bottles to reduce BPA exposure to infants.
Plastic alternatives to polycarbonate have massively appeared on Belgium market. Although there are several studies on BPA migration from polycarbonate into foodstuff under a variety of conditions, there is a small amount of information about consequences on human health of the potential exposure to chemicals migrating from PC alternatives, including bottles commonly labelled “free BPA”. In a recent opinion (No. 8697, 11.03.2010), the Belgium Superior Health Council's issued its concern regarding the currently used alternatives to PC. Furthermore, they asked to investigate the possible risks associated with the use of these alternatives.
In order to evaluate the safety of these alternatives, the genotoxicity and the activity on several receptors of chemical compounds migrating from PC alternatives, identified by Simoneau & al, 2012 , were evaluated using reporter gene assays. Receptor agonistic and antagonistic activities of 39 pure compounds were measured. After the first screening, certain substances clearly showed an activity on several receptors such as BPA, and Bisphenol S, while only a few substances showed no reaction on the different receptor. None of the 39 components was genotoxic as identified in the Vitotox test. However, further experiments will be performed to characterize their activity and confirm the result for the genotoxicity.