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Monitoring bisphenol A and estrogenic chemicals in thermal paper with yeast-based bioreporter assay

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Abstract

Bioluminescent Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast-based bioreporters were used to monitor bisphenol A and other estrogenic chemicals in thermal paper samples collected mainly from Finland on two occasions in 2010/2011, and 2013. The bisphenol A-targeted (BPA-R) and the human oestrogen receptor (hERα) bioreporters were applied to analyse both non-treated and extracted paper samples. Bisphenol A was readily bioavailable to the yeast bioreporters on the non-treated paper samples without any pre-treatment. Detected concentrations ranged from a detection limit of 9–142 μg/g to over 20 mg/g of bisphenol A equivalents in the thermal papers. Low bisphenol A like activities were detected in many samples, and were considered to be caused by residual bisphenol A or other types of bisphenols, such as bisphenol S. Most of the thermal paper samples were toxic to the yeast bioreporters. The toxicity did not, however, depend on the bisphenol A concentration of the samples. The yeast bioreporters were demonstrated to be a robust and cost-efficient method to monitor thermal paper samples for their bisphenol A content and estrogenicity. Thermal paper was considered as a potential BPA source for both human exposure and environmental emission.

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Abbreviations

BPA:

Bisphenol A

BPA-R:

Bisphenol A targeted receptor

BPF:

Bisphenol F

BPS:

Bisphenol S

hERα:

Human oestrogen receptor α

LOD:

Limit of detection

LOQ:

Limit of quantification

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Academy of Finland and The Finnish Doctoral Programme in Environmental Science and Technology. Students Anniina Uotila and Henri Lohva are thanked for their contributions to the experimental part of the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 9), Helsinki, 00790, Finland

    Johanna Rajasärkkä & Marko Virta

  2. National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, 70701, Kuopio, Finland

    Jani Koponen, Riikka Airaksinen & Hannu Kiviranta

Authors
  1. Johanna Rajasärkkä
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  2. Jani Koponen
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  3. Riikka Airaksinen
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  4. Hannu Kiviranta
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  5. Marko Virta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johanna Rajasärkkä.

Additional information

Published in the topical collection Analytical Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence with guest editors Elisa Michelini and Mara Mirasoli.

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Rajasärkkä, J., Koponen, J., Airaksinen, R. et al. Monitoring bisphenol A and estrogenic chemicals in thermal paper with yeast-based bioreporter assay. Anal Bioanal Chem 406, 5695–5702 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-7812-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-7812-x

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