Introduction

Due to emergence of findings like BPA exposure can influence brain development, the bisphenol A(BPA) has become well known in the recent years as heath concerns were raised. The concerns over BPA began with baby bottles and spread to include other types of bottles and children toys.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound, having the chemical formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH). In its pure form, they are white flakes with a faint phenol-like smell.

The compound was first synthesized by the Russian chemist A.P. Dianin in 1905. It is produced by condensation reaction of phenol with acetone in the presence of a strongly acidic ion-exchange resin as catalyst.



Bisphenol A is moderately soluble in water (300 mg/L) and it dissociates in an alkaline environment (pKa 9.9–11.3).  It is used in the sythesis of polycarbonate, epoxy, unsaturated polyester and polysulfone resin. The process of synthesis of polycarbonate resins is shown below.

BPA is also utilised in PVC (polyvinyl chloride) production as a polymerization inhibitor, where after complete polymerization, residual BPA may remain. And as antioxidant in glues, plastics and ink. From 1957 to 2001, global production of BPA was estimated to be an astonish amount of 2.5 million tons.

There are many applications of materials containing BPA. Some common applications are as varnish on the cans' internal surface and as packaging for storage of food, drinks and pharmaceuticals. Uses of epoxy resins include industrial floorings, adhesives, industrial protective coatings, powder coatings, automotive primers and printed circuit boards.

On the other hand, polycarbonates are used in medical equipment (for dialysis and blood oxygenation), water bottles, cell phones,eyeglass lenses, consumer electronics, digital media (e.g. CDs and DVDs) due to its desired properties for both optical clarity and heat resistance.

However, in the production of polycarbonate polymer, not all of the BPA is used up, and they may leach out of the polymer. This is an area of concern as people are afraid that BPA will leach out and be taken in by the human body in one way or another and have adverse effect on health. A possible case is the leaching of BPA from baby bottles composed of polycarbonate into the liquid stored and be consumed by infants. Recently, many applications of polycarbonate have been replaced with new copolymers, such as co-polyester, to eliminate BPA.

Currently, BPA is now monitored in specific products, like baby bottles and other children’s products due to health concerns over exposue to the compound. Simple and rugged analytical methods are needed to determine the presence and amount of BPA in plastic materials. This blog will present the extraction and HPLC analysis of children’s products for BPA with reference from other resources.

Sources:
1.http://www.perkinelmer.com/CMSResources/Images/44-74055app_BPAinToys.pdf
2.http://www.bisphenol-a.org/about/bpa-info/bpa-synthesis.html
3.http://apps.kemi.se/flodessok/floden/kemamne_Eng/bisfenol_a_eng.htm
4.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Synthesis_Bisphenol_A.svg
5. http://www.us.edu.pl/uniwersytet/jednostki/wydzialy/chemia/acta/ac16/zrodla/01_AC16.pdf