BPA can disrupt sexual function in turtles

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-04/uom-bcd041515.php

Public Release: 15-Apr-2015
BPA can disrupt sexual function in turtles, could be a warning for environmental health
Understanding the effect on turtles could help researchers determine human implications
University of Missouri-Columbia

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that is used in a variety of consumer products, such as food storage products and resins that line plastic food and beverage containers. Often, aquatic environments such as rivers and streams become reservoirs for BPA, and fish and turtle habitats are affected. Now, a collaboration of researchers from the University of Missouri, Westminster College, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Saint Louis Zoo have determined that BPA--which mimics estrogen--can alter a turtle's reproductive system and disrupts sexual differentiation. Scientists are concerned findings could indicate harmful effects on environmental and human health.

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"The doses we tested are environmentally relevant," said Cheryl Rosenfeld, associate professor of biomedical sciences in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, a researcher in the MU Bond Life Sciences Center and a co-author of the study. "If BPA has negative impacts on turtles, then it most likely has implications for human health as well."

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