Comment on study suggesting that BPA may affect the developing brain by disrupting gene regulation

"This is an interesting and well-conducted study that has explored the potential effects of bisphenol-A on human and rodent neuronal development in vitro. Clear effects of exposing the neuronal cells to 100nM bisphenol A are shown. Interesting though the effects are from a mechanistic point of view, they have no relevance to human health because the concentration of bisphenol A used, exceeds human exposure by ~100,000 times (and this is probably a conservative estimate). As the motivation for the studies was publications suggesting an association between bisphenol A exposure and later behavioural problems in children, this would not provide any linking/supporting evidence because of lack of credibility with the doses used.

"This study is reminiscent of many similar studies with bisphenol A in vitro or in animal studies - many show convincing effects on various biological processes relevant to human health, but they always involve doses that are in a different ballpark to human exposure. When realistic doses are applied (i.e. Those to which humans are internally exposed), no effects are found - although I hasten to add that most such studies never explore human-relevant doses."

A press release on the study can be found at the EurekAlert website.