Workplace BPA May Cause Sexual Dysfunction

BPA, or Bisphenol-A, has been in the news a lot lately. BPA is an industrial chemical used to make certain types of plastic. Concern was raised when research found that BPA could leech out of plastic bottles, such as baby bottles, perhaps exposing the babies to unsafe levels of BPA.

According to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Human Reproduction, there is another concern related to BPH: sexual dysfunction in men. A study done in China found that men who were exposed to BPH in the work place had four times the risk of erectile dysfunction and seven time the risk of having problems with ejaculation. The amount of BPH that the men were exposed to was 50 times higher than exposure that occurs in the United States, the researchers pointed out.

The study involved two groups of men: 230 workers who were exposed to high levels of BPA during their work day and 404 workers who were not. After testing the air for BPA levels and studying the people, regarding life habits, work habits and their sexual activity, the researchers found that not only did BPA increase the risk of sexual difficulties, the higher the level of exposure, the higher the chances of sexual problems.

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