Determinants of Urinary Bisphenol-A Concentrations During Pregnancy

Purpose: Given the short half-life (5-6 hours) of bisphenol-A (BPA), a suspected endocrine disruptor, we examined whether urinary concentrations of bisphenol-A (BPA) among pregnant women were correlated with 24 hour self-reported consumption of canned beverages and/or canned/prepackaged foods. Methods: Pregnant women (n=306) were recruited from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center Women’s and High Risk Pregnancy clinics in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Banked urine specimens were analyzed for total (free BPA + conjugates) urinary BPA concentrations (ng/mL). Participants were asked to self-report the number of servings of canned beverages, canned foods and prepackaged foods within the last 24 hours. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to identify statistically significant correlations between log-transformed urinary concentrations of BPA and self-reported measures of canned beverage and canned/prepackaged food consumption. Linear regression analysis was also performed, adjusting for specific gravity, BMI, age, smoking, income, race, education, and consumption of coffee within the past 24 hours. Results: The majority of women were non-white, reported an annual household income below $30,000 and were not active smokers ( Conclusions: Total urinary concentrations appear to be correlated to the consumption of canned beverages in the previous 24 hours. However, canned beverages do not appear to contribute greatly to maternal BPA levels measured during pregnancy.