Estimation of bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations in pregnant women, fetuses and nonpregnant women in Eastern Townships of Canada

We determined bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations of 61 pregnant women (PW), their fetuses and 26 nonpregnant women (NPW) in Eastern Townships of Canada; and evaluated potential correlations between maternal and fetal blood, and between peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid. In PW, BPA levels were ranged from non-detected to 4.46 ng/ml and from non-detected to 4.60 ng/ml for maternal and fetal serum, respectively. In NPW, BPA levels were ranged from 1.30 to 8.17 ng/ml and from 0.19 to 13.45 ng/ml for serum and peritoneal fluid, respectively. Positive correlation was found between maternal and fetal serum, and between serum and peritoneal fluid. In conclusion, our findings highlight a continuous distribution of BPA between the mother and its fetus and reveal a role of pregnancy in underestimating the actual levels of blood BPA. Our study also provides a temporal-spatial reference on BPA exposure, which is a useful tool in monitoring, comparing and correcting.