Risk assessment of bisphenol A migrated from canned foods in Korea

Exposure and risk assessment of bisphenol A (BPA) was conducted on consumption of canned foods in Korean adults. Sixty-one canned food items with different brands purchased from retail outlets in markets were analyzed for BPA concentration by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescence detection. Limits of detection (LOD) were 3 microg/kg for solid and 2 microg/kg for liquid foods. BPA was detected from 7 groups of food items, such as tuna (n = 8), fish (n = 11), fruits (n = 9), vegetables (n = 12), meats (n = 13), coffee (n = 5), and tea (n = 3) in the range from not detected (ND) to 136.14 microg/kg. Mean concentrations of BPA were 3.1 microg/kg (ND-21.5 microg/kg) for vegetables, 8.3 microg/kg (ND-14.26) for tea, 8.6 microg/kg (ND-54.56 microg/kg) for fruits, 24.49 microg/kg (ND-98.30 microg/kg) for meats, 39.78 microg/kg (ND-125.25 microg/kg) for fish, 43.7 microg/kg (ND-116.88 microg/kg) for tuna, and 45.51 microg/kg (ND-136.14 microg/kg) for coffee, in the order of magnitude. Based on daily dietary intake of canned food items and concentrations of BPA, human exposure level to BPA was estimated to be 1.509 microg/kg body weight (bw)/d, well below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) or reference dose (RfD) of 50 microg/kg, bw/d set by the European Commission, U.S.EPA, and South Korea. Therefore, the potential risk for BPA contamination due to consumption of each canned food items was calculated to be (1.509 microg/kg bw/d)/(50 microg/kg bw/d) = 0.03, which is the hazard index [HI = exposure level/(RfD or TDI)]. Evidence indicates that the levels of BPA levels in canned foods are not likely to constitute a safety concern for consumers in Korea.