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Bisphenol A contamination in aquatic environments: a review of sources, environmental concerns, and microbial remediation

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Abstract

The production of polycarbonate, a high-performance transparent plastic, employs bisphenol A, which is a prominent endocrine-disrupting compound. Polycarbonates are frequently used in the manufacturing of food, bottles, storage containers for newborns, and beverage packaging materials. Global production of BPA in 2022 was estimated to be in the region of 10 million tonnes. About 65–70% of all bisphenol A is used to make polycarbonate plastics. Bisphenol A leaches from improperly disposed plastic items and enters the environment through wastewater from plastic-producing industries, contaminating, sediments, surface water, and ground water. The concentration BPA in industrial and domestic wastewater ranges from 16 to 1465 ng/L while in surface water it has been detected 170–3113 ng/L. Wastewater treatment can be highly effective at removing BPA, giving reductions of 91–98%. Regardless, the remaining 2–9% of BPA will continue through to the environment, with low levels of BPA commonly observed in surface water and sediment in the USA and Europe. The health effects of BPA have been the subject of prolonged public and scientific debate, with PubMed listing more than 17,000 scientific papers as of 2023. Bisphenol A poses environmental and health hazards in aquatic systems, affecting ecosystems and human health. While several studies have revealed its presence in aqueous streams, environmentally sound technologies should be explored for its removal from the contaminated environment. Concern is mostly related to its estrogen-like activity, although it can interact with other receptor systems as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. Present review article encompasses the updated information on sources, environmental concerns, and sustainable remediation techniques for bisphenol A removal from aquatic ecosystems, discussing gaps, constraints, and future research requirements.

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Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Abbreviations

BPA:

Bisphenol A

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

cAMP:

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate

ERR:

Estrogen-related receptor

PPAR:

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor

MAE:

Microwave-assisted extraction

MIP-SPE:

Molecularly imprinted polymer-solid phase extraction

LC-MS:

Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

LMEs:

Lignin-modifying enzymes

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the facilities provided by the Vice-chancellor of Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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Contributions

The first author, Anuradha Mishra, helped in drafting the manuscript and prepared the figures. The corresponding author, Shiv Shankar, formulated and designed the study. The co-author, Divya Goel, helped in editing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Shiv Shankar.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Mishra, A., Goel, D. & Shankar, S. Bisphenol A contamination in aquatic environments: a review of sources, environmental concerns, and microbial remediation. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1352 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11977-1

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