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Published on: March 6, 2018
Study of experiment on leaching of bisphenol A from infant books to artificial saliva
Junko Sajiki1, Ryoko Yanagibori, Yaeko Kobayashi
1Chiba Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Nitona-Cho, Chuoku, Chiba, Japan. j.sjk2@ma.pref.chiba.lg.jp
Insights
Bisphenol A (BPA) leached from infant books into artificial saliva, posing potential health risks to babies. Reducing BPA in children's book printing is recommended to protect infant health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Pediatric Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical.
- Infants may be exposed to BPA through consumer products, including books.
- Concerns exist regarding the safety of BPA in products intended for infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the risk of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in infants from sucking or chewing on infant books.
- To measure the concentration of BPA leaching from Japanese-manufactured infant books into artificial saliva.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed BPA leaching from 10 infant books into artificial saliva or water at 37°C for 20 hours.
- Measured BPA concentration using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) with solid-phase extraction.
Main Results:
- BPA was detected leaching from all tested infant books into both saliva and water.
- The highest BPA concentration measured in saliva was 43.4 ng/ml within 2 hours.
- Estimated daily BPA exposure for 6-10 month old infants could reach approximately 0.052 mg/kg body weight.
Conclusions:
- BPA leaching from infant books presents a potential exposure risk to infants.
- Infants are more vulnerable to the endocrine-disrupting effects of BPA than adults.
- Reducing BPA usage in infant book printing is crucial for safeguarding child health.
Objective:
To assess the risk of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure when infants suck or chew infant books, the concentration of BPA leaching from infant books published by Japanese makers to artificial saliva was measured.
Methods:
The concentration of BPA leaching from 10 infant books to 15 ml artificial saliva or water was measured at 37 degrees C for 20 hrs. BPA concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) with solid-phase extraction.
Results:
BPA was leached from all books when pieces of them were dipped both into saliva and water for 20 hrs. The highest concentration of BPA leaching from one out of 10 books was 43.4 ng/ml (for 2 hrs) in saliva, which was estimated to be approximately 0.052 mg/kg body weight/day for infants aged 6-10 months.
Conclusion:
As BPA has endocrine-disrupting effects and poses higher risks in infants than in adults, it is desired to reduce BPA use in the printing of infant books from the viewpoint of child health.

