Recently, Bisphenol A (BPA) in 5-liter gallons of water has become a hot topic on Indonesian social media. This issue stems from an influencer's Tiktok video upload regarding gallons of a well-known bottled water brand in Indonesia that still contain BPA, which according to the influencer is harmful to human health. However, this opinion cannot be said to be entirely true. It should be noted that food and beverages that come into direct contact with any packaging material, there will definitely be a small amount of content from the material that migrates into the food or beverage. If gallons or food and beverage packaging are made of polycarbonate, then there is BPA that enters the water. However, before thoroughly exploring the facts about BPA in gallons, here is an explanation of BPA.

What is BPA and its impacts?

BPA is a chemical used as a monomer in the synthesis of polycarbonate, so every item made of polycarbonate certainly contains BPA. This chemical is widely used by the public because BPA can provide a rigid and transparent texture. So, polycarbonate plastic containing BPA in it is widely used for making bottles, cups, cookware, children's toys, and gallons. 

BPA chemicals are widely discussed by the public because they can trigger several health problems. Several studies in the world, including in Indonesia, show that high doses of BPA can disrupt human hormone health. In fact, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which is a chemical that can mimic, block, and disrupt the body's hormones. As such, in 2013, researchers argued that excessive exposure to BPA can interfere with human reproductive health, such as affecting puberty and ovulation and may lead to infertility. In addition to affecting the health of the reproductive system, some studies have also found that excessive exposure to BPA can also trigger heart disease, diabetes, asthma and cancer.

However, keep in mind that it is not only BPA in polycarbonate that can be harmful to health. Other substances in food and beverage packaging can also affect health. Therefore, the levels of migrating substances should be below the safe threshold.

What are the risks of BPA?

The risks and health impacts of BPA can certainly make people anxious and reluctant to use packaging materials that contain BPA, such as gallons made of polycarbonate plastic. However, according to some recent studies and responsible parties, the impacts of BPA on human health still require further research to confirm the truth. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) in 2017, stated that BPA was shown to affect the reproductive system of laboratory animals, but according to the CDC, the research still needs to be corroborated with further studies. 

In addition to these studies, several food and drug regulatory authorities from various countries also have different regulations and safe thresholds for BPA. BPOM RI sets a safe BPA threshold of 0.6 ppm (parts per million). If it is assumed that we drink 1 liter per day, then the safe threshold of BPA is 600 micrograms of BPA/day. This means that if we get a maximum of 600 micrograms of BPA per day then we will be safe. However, there are countries that set the safe threshold of BPA above 600 micrograms/day, but there are also countries that set it below 600 micrograms/day such as the European Food Safety Authority (FSA), which is known to be very strict, setting the tolerable daily intake of BPA at 4 micrograms of BPA/kilogram of body weight/day. Which means, if you weigh 50 kg, then the safe threshold according to the FSA is 200 micrograms of BPA/day. Meanwhile, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States sets the safe threshold of BPA at 5 micrograms of BPA/kilogram of body weight/day. If the body weight is 50 kg, then the safe threshold of BPA in the USA is 2500 micrograms of BPA/day. 

From this explanation, it can be seen that each country has its own BPA safe threshold regulations. In Indonesia itself, the safe threshold of BPA is 0.6 ppm, so the amount of BPA contained in a 5 liter gallon is still safe because the concentration of BPA in the gallon is very low. So, BPA in gallons should not endanger human health. Although considered safe, we still should not take this issue lightly, we should minimize exposure to BPA by ensuring how to store gallons at temperatures that are not too hot, so that the migration of the amount of BPA is not getting too much.

Reference:

Brazier, Y. (2023, May 25). How does bisphenol A affect health? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221205#Avoiding-exposure

Faadhilah, H., & Tiitraresmi, A. (n.d.). REVIEW: PENCEMARAN BISPHENOL A (BPA) DALAM KEMASAN GALON DAN DAMPAKNYA BAGI KESEHATAN. Farmaka, 21(2).

Author : Fiona Aurelia Darma