Exposure assessment of endocrine disruptors in bottled drinking water of Lebanon

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a commonly used monomer in various products including bottled water. Numerous studies have reported endocrine adverse effects and neoplasia associated with BPA exposure in animals. However, considerable discrepancies exist among these studies with respect to both the nature of the toxic effects and the threshold dose. In Lebanon, 19-L polycarbonate (PC) bottles of drinking water are widely used in urban areas. The present study aims at assessing BPA human exposure and associated health risks from drinking water in Lebanese. A total of 22 bottled water sources, packaged in PC, were identified from licensed and non-licensed sources. Water samples were analyzed following exposure to sunlight for 72 h. BPA in water was quantified by HPLC, and other potential organic pollutants were screened by GC/MS. Fifty-nine percent of samples showed BPA levels above detection limits (>0.05 ng/mL). The median BPA level was 0.1 ng/mL (range 0.05 to 1.37 ng/mL). The mean BPA level for the total number of samples was 0.169 ng/mL (±0.280). A higher mean BPA level was found in water from licensed companies compared to non-licensed sources, however, not statistically significant. Screening showed the presence of dibutyl-phthalate and dioctyl-phthalate in only two samples. Endocrine disruptors (EDR) are ubiquitous contaminants in bottled water in Lebanon with potential health risk implications. Although estimated exposure levels are below the reference dose (RfD), further studies are needed to quantitate exposure from various sources and to investigate EDR contribution to existing epidemics in the country.