Demographic and dietary predictors of urinary bisphenol A concentrations in adults in Israel

Background: To date, there is scarce data on levels of exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) in the general population in Israel and the region. The goal of the current study was to measure urinary levels of BPA in the general adult population in Israel and to determine the demographic and dietary predictors of exposure. Methods: We recruited 249 individuals (ages 20-74) from five different regions in Israel. We collected urine samples and questionnaire data including detailed dietary data and analyzed urine samples for BPA concentrations. Results: Eighty nine percent of the study population had urinary BPA concentrations equal to or above the level of quantification (0.3. μg/L). Median creatinine adjusted BPA urinary concentrations in the study population (2.3. μg/g) were slightly higher than those reported for the general population in the US (1.76. μg/g) and Canada (1.47. μg/g), and were comparable to those reported for the general population in Belgium (2.25. μg/g) and Korea (2.09. μg/g). BPA concentrations were higher in Jews compared to Arab and Druze (prevalence ratio (PR)=2.34; 95%CI 1.56-3.49), in individuals with higher education (PR=1.70, 1.11-2.62), in individuals consuming mushrooms (PR=2.08, 1.07-4.05), and in smokers (PR=1.43, 1.00-2.05). Conclusions: We found that the general adult population in Israel is widely exposed to BPA. Our findings on higher BPA levels in Jews compared to Arabs and Druze and in individuals with higher education highlights the fact that predictors of BPA exposure vary across populations.