Bisphenol A (referred to as BPA) is a chemical used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Needless to say, huge amounts of BPA are used every year around the world and releases into the environment are inevitable. Some environmental exposure comes from actual releases from industrial effluents and biological wastewater treatment plants. Dust particulates and vaporized BPA are also produced, but their impacts are minimal (the vapor is rapidly degraded by sunlight). Based on the properties of BPA, about 50% of BPA in the environment has the potential to bind to soils and sediments and the rest remains in the water column. Other sources of BPA in the environment include the adsorption from plastic in the marine environment or leachate from landfills. As more plastic is thrown away or discarded of in nature, more and more BPA is filtered into the environment. This is a potential hazard because BPA has been proven to affect different organisms' reproduction and estrogen cycles.
Floating Island of Plastic
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