Exposure assessment of bisphenol A by drinking coffee from plastic cups

Human exposure to plastic and Bisphenol-A (BPA) is very wide in food or beverage containers and baby bottles that have contacted polycarbonate and epoxy resin. Currently a traditional beverage in Arabian culture is served in plastic cups instead of glass cups in different occasions.

To evaluate the possible BPA leach from the grade 5 drinking coffee plastic cups into the coffee and whether the use of plastic cups instead of glass ones to serve hot Arabian coffee poses a health risk.

Oral administration of such coffee to three different groups of rats were undertaken. Each group consisted of 10 males and 10 females. The first group (G1) was gavaged 1.5 ml of hot water in glass cups. The second group (G2) was gavaged 1.5 ml of hot water in plastic cups while the third one (G3) was gavaged 1.5 ml of Arabian coffee in plastic cups. Serum concentrations of Bisphenol-A were measured 4 weeks later. Complete postmortem examination was conducted and representative tissue samples were subjected to histopathological evaluation.

In the control group receiving water kept in a glass cup had 24 ± 2 μg/L serum concentration and the second group was 36 ± 4 μg/L while in the third group was 29 ± 6 μg/L. No significant postmortem changes or histopathological findings were present in the studied animals.

Bisphenol-A can be leached from food-grade plastic cups into hot drinks within short period of time, posing a significant impact to public health.