Chemicals in plastics can increase testosterone in men

A chemical found in plastics has been shown to increase testosterone levels in men, British researchers reported on Wednesday. They found that men who had high levels of the chemical bisphenol A also had higher testosterone levels compared to men with lower levels of the chemical in their bodies.

The chemical, also known as BPA, is commonly found in plastic products around the world. The new study comes on the heels of research released earlier this month that found high amounts of BPA are present in everyday cash register receipts, as much as 3% of the total weight of the receipt.

In the new study, researchers analyzed urine samples of 715 adults. The average BPA daily exposure was more than five micrograms per day -- which is similar to what has been found in other surveys. The higher the daily BPA excretion in urine, the higher the total testosterone concentrations in men.

“The results are important because they provide a first report in a large-scale human population of associations between elevated exposure to BPA and alterations in circulating hormone levels,” the authors wrote. “They also illustrate that the extent of exposure to BPA is similar in this European mixed urban and rural population to exposures seen in the general adult population of the USA.”

BPA is found in plastic food and drink containers, even some baby bottles. It may leach out of the plastic into food. The chemical is called an “endocrine disruptor” because it alters human hormone levels, which can contribute to illness and disease. The hormonelike effects of the chemical may be especially dangerous to infants or during fetal development. The Environmental Protection Agency announced earlier this year that it will add BPA to its “chemical concern” list due to potential environmental effects.

The study was led by researchers at the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter and was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

-- Shari Roan / Los Angeles Times

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