Degradation study of BPA-containing plastics in water samples collected from an urban reservoir

Abstract

Water pollution is a significant problem worldwide, particularly in Brazil where the majority of urban populations rely on drinking water from surface water reservoirs. The accumulation of plastic debris, such as polycarbonate blends, in reservoirs and other waterways is a public health issue because of health and environmental concerns associated with their chemical degradation. A compound commonly found in plastics, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol-A; BPA), has become a serious environmental problem due to its release in water and its estrogen-like properties. This paper focuses on understanding the degradation process of two types of plastics containing BPA, polypropylene (PP) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA), in surface waters. The strength of the chemical binding of BPA to PP and PLA was examined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Release of BPA from both types of plastics was determined in surface water samples collected from the Billings Reservoir, the largest source of drinking water of Sao Paulo residents. The results show that BPA bound to PP-based plastics is released more rapidly into surface waters than that bound to PLA-based plastics.

Discovery of New Protein Targets of BPA Analogs and Derivatives Associated with Noncommunicable Diseases: A Virtual High-Throughput Screening

“…This compound is present in many everyday products ( Santangeli et al. 2017 ; dos Santos Rosa 2018 ) and has been recently banned in certain goods, such as baby bottles, in some countries ( EC 2011 ; Government of Canada 2010 ). This prohibition and the concern regarding its possible negative effects to human health have resulted in the increasing production of BPA analogs and derivatives (BPs) with similar structural or functional features ( Lee et al.…”