Health risk assessment of bisphenol A exposure in water resources of Khuzestan province

Abstract Bisphenol A is a chemical widely used in industry and production of various products and has been often detected in surface waters worldwide. There have been few environmental surveys on BPA in surface waters in Iran. This study was conducted to determine BPA concentration in water resources and wastewater treatment plants of eight cities of Khuzestan province during wet and dry seasons and to estimation of potential health risks in terms of non-carcinogenic risks by hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI). BPA in the samples was extracted by solid-phase extraction method and determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The findings showed that the highest BPA concentration in water samples in wet and dry seasons at levels of 0.13 and 0.068 mg/L belong to Ahvaz and Abadan, respectively. Also, maximum BPA levels in industrial wastewater was related to Mahshahr at concentrations of 64 mg/L and 29 mg/L in wet and dry seasons. In adults and children, the HI of BPA in drinking water was less than one; consequently, there may be no probable harmful health effect on the exposed population. Nonetheless, more attention should be paid, as BPA can also be absorbed from other routes and sources.