Bisphenol A exposure assessment from olive oil consumption

Abstract

The use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in packaging material has grown extensively over the past 50 years despite concerns of its migration into packaged foods and beverages, resulting in human exposure. Many studies have reported tumorigenic effects and endocrine alterations associated with BPA exposure in animal models. This study aims at assessing human exposure to BPA from olive oil. A total of 27 olive oil samples were collected from mills and local villagers in the District of Hasbaya, a major olive oil harvesting region in Lebanon. Information on storage conditions was also collected using a standard questionnaire. BPA was extracted and quantified by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results showed significantly higher BPA levels in olive oil samples stored in plastic vs. non- plastic packaging (mean = 333 vs. 150 µg-kg, p-value = 0.006), in samples with a plastic storage duration of 1 year compared to those with a storage duration of 1 year (mean = 452 vs. 288 µg-kg, p-value = 0.008), and in oil samples sourced from locals compared to oil mills (mean = 376 vs. 228 µg-kg, p-value = 0.022). Statistically significant higher BPA levels remained for samples stored in plastic vs. non-plastic packaging in the bootstrap multivariable linear regression (B = 144.23, 95percentCI: 67.85-252.07), while storage duration was the only significant variable (B=163.58, 95percent CI: 51.38-263.47, p-value = 0.03). The estimated exposure was found to be 1.38 percent of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) as established by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). This is the first report on BPA levels in Mediterranean olive oil. Further studies are needed to complete a more accurate exposure assessment accounting for BPA exposure from various sources and studying its contribution to existing epidemics in the country.