Ten Weeks with Green Beans...And Then Some: Determination of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in Canned Goods from Arkansas Markets Using Fluorescence Spectrophotometry

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical widely used in production of consumer goods. It has come under scrutiny recently after being labeled as an endocrine disruptor (ED), mostly causing adverse effects in infants and young children. It has been associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and abnormal maturation. Because it is so commonly used in product development, humans are exposed to BPA through various means, such as ingestion or dermal absorption. It is a concern that the combined exposure could cause serious effects even in small doses. In canned foods, the chemical is made into an epoxy resin to provide a protective lining along the inside of the can. BPA migration occurs when the free BPA moves from the lining into the contents of the can. This study used the standard addition method in order to determine the concentration of BPA in canned goods, as well as the effect of heat on the migration of the chemical from the can\u27s epoxy lining to its liquid contents. Fluorescence spectrophotometry was also used to quantify BPA concentrations, as BPA is a fluorescing molecule. The limit of detection (LOD) for the instrument was 0.3844 µg/ml. After removing the can\u27s original contents and replacing it with HPLC-grade H2O, BPA levels ranged from 0.7 0.7 ± 0.5 to 1.2 ± 0.5 µg/ml. In the original liquid though, concentrations vacillated between 43.5 ± 0.7 and 95 ± 4 µg/ml. After the application of heat, values stretched from 39 ± 2 to 94 ± 12 µg/ml. The results confirmed the presence of BPA in all of the cans, and indicated that there was no effect on migration of BPA after heating samples