Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Measurement of bisphenol A levels in human urine

Abstract

We report a new approach for assessing human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) by measuring BPA in urine after enzymatic deglucuronidation. This method involves addition of 13C 12-labeled BPA, enzymatic deconjugation, solid-phase extraction, and derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide. The product of the derivatization is separated by gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometric detection using negative chemical ionization and selected ion monitoring. Using this analysis method, urine samples fortified with both a constant level of labeled BPA and a range of unlabeled BPA levels (0.27–10.6 ng/ml) demonstrated constant percentage recovery. In addition, a range of urine sample volumes (0.25–10.0 ml) with constant amounts of added internal standard produced a linear response (r2=0.99). The method limit of detection was 0.12 ng/ml. This method was validated by duplicate analyses using gas chromatography coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BPA:

bisphenol A

EI+:

positive electron ionization

GC/HRMS:

gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometric detection

GC/MS:

gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometric detection

Hg:

mercury

m/z:

mass to charge ratio

NCI:

negative chemical ionization

SPE:

solid-phase extraction

TMS:

trimethylsilyl

References

  1. Ashby J, Bisphenol A and dental sealants: the inappropriateness of continued reference to a single female patient, Environ Health Perspect (1997) 105: 362

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Blount BC Milgram KE Silva M Malek N Reidy JA Needham LL and Brock JW, Quantitative detection of eight phthalate metabolites in human urine using HPLC-APCIMS/MS, Anal Chem (2000) 72: 4127–4134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Brotons JA Olea-Serrano MF Villalobos M Pedraza V and Olea N, Xenoestrogens released from laquer coating in food cans, Environ Health Perspect (1995) 103: 6008–6012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Daneshvar M, and Brooks JB, Improved procedure for preparation of pentafluorobenzyl derivatives of carboxylic acids for analysis by gas chromatography with electron capture detection, J Chromatgr (1988) 433: 248–256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Del Olmo M Zafra A Navas NA and Vilchez JL, Trace determination of phenol, bisphenol A, and bisphenol A digycidyl ether in mixtures by excitation fluorescence following micro liquid–liquid extraction using partial least squares regression, Analyst (1999) 124: 385–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gandara JS Abuin SP Losado PP and Lozano JS, Determination of bisphenol A and F in noncured epoxy resins by RP–HPLC–fluorescence techniques, J Chromatogr Sci (1993) 31: 450–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hofmann U, Holzer S, and Meese CO, Pentafluorophenyldiazoalkanes as novel derivatization reagents for the determination of sensitive carboxylic acids by gas chromatography–negative ion mass spectrometry, J Chromatogr (1990) 508: 349–356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hoyle WC and Budway R, Bisphenol A in food cans, Environ Health Perspect (1997) 105: 570–571

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Imai Y, Comments on estrogenicity of resin-based composites and sealants used in dentistry, Environ Health Perspect (1999) 107: A290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jacobsson S, Larsson A, and Arbin A, Extractive pentafluorobenzylation of formic, acetic and levulinic, benzoic and phthalic acids studied by liquid chromatography and dual-oven capillary gas chromatography, J Chromatogr (1988) 447: 329–340

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Knaak J, and Sullivan L, Metabolism of bisphenol A in the rat, Toxicol Appl Pharmacol (1966) 8: 175–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Laws SC Carey SA Ferrell JM Bodman GJ and Cooper RL, Estrogenic activity of octylphenol, nonylphenol, bisphenol A, and methoxychlor in rats, Toxicol Sci (2000) 254: 154–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Long X Steinmetz R Nira B-J Caperall-Grant A Young PCM Nephew KP and Bigsby RM, Strain differences in vaginal responses to the xenoestrogen bisphenol A, Environ Health Perspect (2000) 108: 243–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Matsumoto G, Ishwatari R, and Hanya T, Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric identification of phenols and aromatic acids in river waters, Water Res (1977) 11: 693–698

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Olea N Pulgar R Perez P Olea-Serrano F Rivas A Novillo-Fetrell A Pedraza V Soto AM and Shonnenshein C, Estrogenicity of resin-based composites and sealants used in dentistry, Environ Health Perspect (1996) 104: 298–305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pirkle J Sampson EJ Needham LL Patterson DG and Ashley DL, Using biological monitoring to assess human exposure to toxicants, Environ Health Perspect (1995) 103: 45–48

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Pottenger LH Domoradzki JY Markham DA Hansen SC Cagen SZ and Wacchter JM Jr., The relative bioavailability and metabolism of bisphenol A in rats is dependent upon the route of administration, Toxicol Sci (2000) 54: 3–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sajika J, Takahashi K, and Yonekubo J, Sensitive method for the determination of bisphenol-A in serum using two systems of high performance chromatography, J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl (1999) 736: 255–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Staples CA Dorn PB Klecka GM O'block ST and Harris LR, A review of the environmental fate, effects, and exposures of bisphenol A, Chemosphere (1998) 36: 2149–2173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yoshimura Y Brock JW Makino, T and Nakazawa H 2000 Determination of bisphenol A in human serum by GC/MS, Anal Chem Acta In press

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. Brand names are given for reference and do not constitute endorsement.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to JOHN W BROCK.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BROCK, J., YOSHIMURA, Y., BARR, J. et al. Measurement of bisphenol A levels in human urine. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 11, 323–328 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500174

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500174

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links