Bisphenol A Sources, Risks of Environmental Exposure and Human Health Effects

This book reviews the latest venues in bisphenol A (BPA) studies related to human health. BPA, a synthetic compound primarily used to make plastic, is found in many daily products making this compound almost impossible to avoid. BPA can mimic naturally occurring hormones in humans that will be mistaken by our bodies as a proper hormone leading to a wide range of endocrine defects. BPA exposure has raised a number of concerns in the public domain due to numerous studies reporting a plethora of diseases and health conditions that can be directly linked to BPA contamination. This book conveys in a comprehensive manner to the reader the history of BPA; its adverse effects upon exposure, the novel ways to assess its levels in human samples, the non-canonical signalling pathways via which it acts on the human body and the effects induced by BPA exposure upon a variety of human organs and tissues (the immune system, adipose tissue and tooth). This is conveyed using knowledge ascertained from current research on BPA and human health. Contributors to this book are from eight different research laboratories specialised in BPA studies located in seven different countries (Australia, France, Portugal, Belgium, Canada, China and Malaysia).