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Opinion on the safety of the use of bisphenol A in medical devices
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Opinion on the safety of the use of bisphenol A in medical devices

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Bisphenol A (BPA) is a key building block of polycarbonate plastic and a precursor for the manufacturing of monomers of epoxy resins. The BPA exposure of the general population is via food as a result of the use of BPA in food packaging and via skin as a result of contact with thermal paper. The vast majority of the population (91–99%) has detectable levels of BPA-conjugates in their urine. BPA is also present in medical devices including implants, catheters, tubing, and some dental materials. This Opinion describes the risk assessment of exposure to BPA via medical devices that are manufactured with materials that potentially leach BPA leading to oral (via dental material), subcutaneous and intravenous (e.g. during heamodialysis) routes of exposure. After oral exposure BPA is readily absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and due to the first pass effect in the liver and the small intestine is rapidly conjugated to non-toxic metabolites. By the oral route BPA has a low systemic bioavailability (1-10% in humans) and has a half life time of a few hours. For parenteral routes of exposure (intravenous, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous), BPA can be considered 100% systemically bioavailable. However, BPA will also be conjugated in the liver and the clearance of free BPA from the circulation appears to be relatively fast. Toxicity studies indicate that the kidney and the liver are relevant target organs for BPA toxicity. The lowest NOAEL after oral repeated exposure identified in several studies, including multigeneration reproductive toxicity studies, was approximately 5 mg/kg b.w./day. By applying the benchmark dose (BMD) approach, a BMDL10 of 8.96 mg/kg b.w./day was derived (EFSA 2015), based on the alteration in kidney weight. BPA is not likely to pose a genotoxic hazard to humans and has no carcinogenic activity, although there are some effects observed in the mammary gland, which currently are of unknown significance to human health. Neither reproductive nor prenatal developmental toxicity are critical end-points in BPA toxicity, though BPA is associated with reproductive toxicity at doses higher than those causing liver and kidney damage.
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ISSN 1831-4783
ISBN 978-92-79-30133-9
DOI 10.2772/75546
Katalognummer ND-AS-13-003-EN-N
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ISSN 1831-4783 ISBN 978-92-79-30133-9 DOI 10.2772/75546 Katalognummer ND-AS-13-003-EN-N
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