BPA Allegedly Linked to Reproductive Abnormalities in Monkeys

A recent study has allegedly linked low doses of bisphenol A (BPA) to reproductive abnormalities in rhesus monkeys. Patricia A. Hunt, et al., “Bisphenol A alters early oogenesis and follicle formation in the fetal ovary of the rhesus monkey,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, September 2012. Seeking to determine whether BPA exposure “could influence [] reproductive longevity and success,” researchers from University of California, Davis, and Washington State University (WSU) sought to approximate human exposure levels by administering BPA to gestating rhesus monkeys via one daily oral dose or a continuous subdermal implant. Their results evidently showed that the egg cell failed to divide properly in both groups of monkeys exposed to BPA, with those in the continuous-dosing group exhibiting further complications in the third trimester as fetal eggs “were not packaged appropriately in follicles, structures in which they develop,” according to a September 24, 2012, WSU press release.

“The concern is exposure to this chemical that we’re all exposed to could increase the risk of miscarriages and the risk of babies born with birth defects like Down Syndrome,” the lead author was quoted as saying. “The really stunning thing about the effect is we’re dosing grandma, it’s crossing the placenta and hitting her developing fetus, and if that fetus is a female, it’s changing the likelihood that that female is going to ovulate normal eggs. It’s a three-for-one hit.”