Reproductive Toxicology 24 (2007) 259–264 Bisphenol-A and chlorinated derivatives in adipose tissue of women M.F. Fernandez a,∗ , J.P. Arrebola a , J. Taoufiki b , A. Naval´ on b , O. Ballesteros b , R. Pulgar a , J.L. Vilchez b , N. Olea a a Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain b Research Group of Analytical Chemistry and Life Sciences, Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain Received 1 March 2007; received in revised form 25 May 2007; accepted 11 June 2007 Available online 26 June 2007 Abstract Bisphenol-A (BPA) and chlorinated derivatives (Cl x BPA) were investigated in adipose tissue of women in Southeast Spain. BPA was above limit of detection (LOD) in 11 out of 20 samples (55%). Among Cl x BPA, Cl 2 BPA was the most frequent (80%) and abundant, constituting 94.6% of total chlorinated BPA in adipose tissue. Mean ± S.D. of BPA, monochloro-BPA (ClBPA), dichloro-BPA (Cl 2 BPA), and trichloro-BPA (Cl 3 BPA) were 5.83 ± 3.48, 3.05 ± 0.28, 9.21 ± 9.26, and 0.74 ± 0.15ng/g of adipose tissue, respectively. No tetrachloro-BPA (Cl 4 BPA) was found above LOD. There are no published data on BPA in human adipose tissue or on Cl x BPA in adipose tissue or blood, limiting comparisons. BPA levels were similar (w/w) to findings in blood (w/v) in other populations and below levels reported in placenta tissue (w/w). Because of the estrogen mimicking effects of BPA and its Cl x BPA, further research is needed to explore their combined effects on human health and trends in human exposure. © 2007 Published by Elsevier Inc. Keywords: Bisphenol-A; Bisphenol-A chlorinated derivatives; Adipose tissue; Women exposure 1. Introduction In 2005, the world-wide production of bisphenol A [2,2- bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, BPA] was 3,200,000 tonnes/year [1]. In Europe, four companies manufacture a total amount of 700,000 tonnes/year of BPA at six production sites, with one fac- tory in Southern Spain producing more than 250,000 tonnes/year [2,3]. Bisphenol-A is used as an intermediate for binding, plasticiz- ing, or hardening of plastics, paints/lacquers, binding materials, and filling-in materials. BPA is also a substrate for the produc- tion of polycarbonate resins (71%) and epoxy resins (27%). Furthermore, BPA is used as an additive for flame-retardants, brake fluids, and thermal papers. An historical growth in BPA consumption of 6.9–7% per year is driven primarily by heavy demand for polycarbonate resins [4,5]. Automotive applications account for about 20% of total polycarbonate consumption, with ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 958 24 2864; fax: +34 958 24 9953. E-mail address: marieta@ugr.es (M.F. Fernandez). resins used in place of traditional materials such as metal and glass. Uses in glazing and sheet form, e.g., in construction and transportation, make up a further 20% of consumption. Opti- cal media, including audio compact discs (CDs), CD-ROMs, recordable CDs, and digital versatile disks (DVDs) account for a rapidly growing proportion (currently 15–20%) of the poly- carbonate market [6]. This massive production implies the continuous emission of BPA during its manufacture and from utilization of BPA- containing products [4,6]. Emissions during BPA production have been estimated at around 2 tonnes/year to surface waters and 1 ton to air. The most important emissions result from its use in the manufacture of phenoplast cast resins (43 tonnes to water in Europe), thermal paper (151 tonnes to water in Europe) and PVC (25 tonnes to water in Europe). In sum- mary, total emissions in Europe are 2.1 tonnes to air, 199 tonnes to water and 30 tonnes to soil. Emissions from products-in- use are estimated at 160 kg from polycarbonates and <1 kg from epoxy resins used in can lining. Additionally, losses from PVC articles in use are 20 tonnes to air and 30 tonnes to water [4]. 0890-6238/$ – see front matter © 2007 Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2007.06.007